COMEDY OF POWER (DVD/ENG-SUB) DVD

A Comedy of Power
Claude Chabrol's Comedy of Power stars Isabelle Huppert as a French judge who attempts to bring down the very powerful but corrupt CEO of a large corporation. As she digs deeper into the case, she uncovers criminal activity that stretches into the highest levels of government, and her life is turned upside down by death threats as well as her sudden celebrity. The film follows as her career affects her family. Loosely based on real events, Comedy of Power had its North American debut at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Cast Isabelle Huppert as Jeanne Charmant-Killman François Berléand as Michel Humeau Patrick Bruel as Jacques Sibaud Robin Renucci as Philippe Charmant-Killman Maryline Canto as Erika Thomas Chabrol as Félix Jean-François Balmer as Boldi Pierre Vernier as President Martino Jacques Boudet as Descarts Philippe Duclos as Jean-Baptiste Holéo Jean-Christophe Bouvet as Parlebas Roger Dumas as René Lange John P. Arnold as Man in Jaguar Jacques Bouanich as Prison Guard Benoît Charpentier as Economics Journalist Laurence Colussi as Lift Attendant Dominique Daguier as Stranger 2 Stephane Debac as Thirty-Year Cop 1 Pierre-Francois Dumeniaud as Leblanc Raphaëlle Farman as Singer Pierre-Henri Gibert as Financial Group Minion Michelle Goddet as Nicole Humeau Cyril Guei as African Diplomat Fernand Guiot as Belgian Sophie Guiter as Evelyne Jean-Marie Juan as Marco Aïcha Kossoko as Jeanne's Nurse Nathalie Kousnetzoff as Michèle Pascale Mariani as Palais Cleaner Raphaël Neal as Stranger 1 Jacky Nercessian as Hotel Club Maître d' Jean-Pierre Niobé as Jipe Emmanuel Noyant as Policeman 1 Anthony Paliotti as Guard Doing Body Search Guy Perrot as Dr. Philippe Hubert Saint-Macary as Prison Director Michel Scourneau as Man in Jaguar 2 Eric Sendra as Thirty-Year Cop 2 Yves Verhoeven as Benoît the Clerk Jean-Marie Winling as Man in Power

Crew Catherine Perrat - Art Director Cecile Maistre - Casting Mademoiselle Chouchou - Casting Laurent Petitgirard - Conductor Alfred Hurmer - Co-producer Mic Cheminal - Costume Designer Cecile Maistre - First Assistant Director Claude Chabrol - Director Monique Fardoulis - Editor Francoise Galfre - Executive Producer Reynald Desbant - Hair Styles Matthieu Chabrol - Composer (Music Score) Jean-Christophe Roger - Makeup Michel Thiriet - Camera Operator Francoise Benoit-Fresco - Production Designer Eduardo Serra - Cinematographer Michel Jullien - Production Manager Patrick Godeau - Producer Artefix - Special Effects Thierry Lebon - Sound/Sound Designer Pierre Lenoir - Sound/Sound Designer Claude Chabrol - Dialogue Writer Odile Barski - Dialogue Writer Claude Chabrol - Screenwriter Odile Barski - Screenwriter Michel Atanassian - Gaffer Pierre Galliard - Properties Master Aurore Chabrol - Script Supervisor Eymeric Ioulalen - Second Assistant Director Dominique Frizat - Second Assistant Director Vincent Guillerminet - Second Assistant Director Mathieu Caudroy - Steadicam Operator Laurence Glentzlin - Costume/Wardrobe Hélène Kurant - Costume/Wardrobe Fabienne Bressan - Key Hairstylist Thi Loan Nguyen - Key Make-up Catherine Pierrat - Set Decorator Artefix - Title Design

A Comedy of Power
The premise of Comedy of Power sounds familiar from a thousand legal hrillers, but with Claude Chabrol's modest yet quietly captivating execution and his frequent collaborator Isabelle Huppert starring as witty tough-as-nails judge Jeanne Charmant-Killman, the film becomes a cynically astute deconstruction of modern corporate and political corruption and the crude tactics employed by CEOs to keep their men's club boardrooms intact. The sexual politics and judicial maneuvering, though unique to France, are broadly understandable and relatable enough to appeal to a non-Francophile audience, and the unobtrusive camera setup and dialogue-heavy storytelling are reminiscent of television crime dramas. The comedy of the titles comes from a raised-eyebrow take on the vanity of authority figures, expressed in the outlook of Charmant's nephew Felix (Thomas Chabrol), whose sedentary lifestyle means he has to respect little power. However, the consequences of a leader's actions are depicted as very real, from the personal devastation that results when Charmant jails Humeau (François Berléand) to the larger implications of corporate malfeasance and political machinations. The extreme pressures put on Charmant takes a toll on those around her, but she never loses her cool or sacrifices her snappy fashion sense and Chabrol questions whether this is due to her well-known "piranha" tenacity or a fault of her professional vanity. If the ending, in which the forces of ultimate power remain unscathed, is predictable at least Charmant's final line, a succinct putdown of untamable corruption, has more than enough tart resonance to make up for it. ~ Michael Buening, All Movie Guide
 

BFI London Film Festival, Film Presented (nominated) Berlin International Film Festival, Film Presented (nominated) Tribeca Film Festival, Film Presented (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: French Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: DD2: Dolby Digital Stereo Additional Features: Making of featurette Original theatrical trailer DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: Content Length: 110 min   DVD Chapters: Disc #1 -- Comedy of Power 1. Apprehended [6:53] 2. The Piranha [6:53] 3. Compelling Evidence [3:17] 4. "Why Are You Hounding Me?" [7:10] 5. Concession [7:01] 6. Suspicious Accident [8:04] 7. Promotion [:36] 8. Questioning Holeo [10:06] 9. "This Can't Go On" [6:02] 10. Pressure [2:48] 11. Conspirators [3:47] 12. Sibaud's Office [4:48] 13. A Fresh Eye [:48] 14. News of Philippe [4:40] 15. No Job Without Risk [11:08] 16. End Credits [:36]