I watched this with some fascination waiting for something to happened. Nothing did. Since it stars Roman Polanski and Gerard Depardieu I stayed with it until the very end. The ending is a bit of a surprise. At first I didn't realize what had happened, but my subconscious mind worked on it and at three o'clock in the morning I woke up and realized what had happened. Consequently much of the mystery and confusion (in my mind) about the film was cleared up.
However my guess is that "Une pura formalita" will be for most viewers a very boring movie. Typical of many French films it is full of talk, talk and more talk like a Romer flick. Only difference is there is no sex and no female characters. In a way it's a guy kind of film like a war movie but without the action.
Polanski plays a police inspector. Call him Leonardo. Depardieu plays Onoff a famous writer who is suspected of murder. Polanski interrogates Depardieu. That's ninety percent of the film. There are some flashed-backed, indistinct scenes and some other police persons, in particular a young policeman pounding an old manual typewriter as the two leads talk. That's about it. Depardieu's character can't remember things. Polanski's character who, as it happens, is a big fan of Onoff nonetheless suspects that Onoff is lying.
There's a storm and a blackout and incessant rain. The old country police station leaks. Candles all about in the semi-darkness. Water drips down into bowls and cups. Still nothing happens. Finally we have the surprise ending. I say "surprise ending" rather than "trick ending" because it was foreshadowed and I should have seen it coming.
—Dennis Littrell, author of the film review collection, "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote"
However my guess is that "Une pura formalita" will be for most viewers a very boring movie. Typical of many French films it is full of talk, talk and more talk like a Romer flick. Only difference is there is no sex and no female characters. In a way it's a guy kind of film like a war movie but without the action.
Polanski plays a police inspector. Call him Leonardo. Depardieu plays Onoff a famous writer who is suspected of murder. Polanski interrogates Depardieu. That's ninety percent of the film. There are some flashed-backed, indistinct scenes and some other police persons, in particular a young policeman pounding an old manual typewriter as the two leads talk. That's about it. Depardieu's character can't remember things. Polanski's character who, as it happens, is a big fan of Onoff nonetheless suspects that Onoff is lying.
There's a storm and a blackout and incessant rain. The old country police station leaks. Candles all about in the semi-darkness. Water drips down into bowls and cups. Still nothing happens. Finally we have the surprise ending. I say "surprise ending" rather than "trick ending" because it was foreshadowed and I should have seen it coming.
—Dennis Littrell, author of the film review collection, "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote"