User Reviews

In a small and sun-kissed French village, nearly every member has a well-described role : there's the priest, the kindergarten teacher, the school director, the gendarme, the butcher. The said butcher, a middle-aged man, is married to a young and sensual beauty much given to wearing happy little summer dresses. Their marriage is not as serene as it seems and after a hellish quarrel over adultery, the wife disappears...

"Monsieur Max" was adapted by Patrick Sébastien from his own theatre play, originally created for a small stage and a tiny cast. Sébastien also performs the lead role, in an unusually restrained performance.

The movie is probably best described as a psychological thriller in the "Simenon" tradition. Its main theme is the propagation and nature of rumor. In the movie, nearly the whole village turns against the butcher, sometimes on the basis of the silliest and sketchiest of "evidence" : the man is discussed, mocked, hounded, persecuted. Gradually the whole thing turns into a spectacle for sensation seekers and tourists, with people trying to get the best café seats for witnessing the arrest.

Look out for the appearance of madame Clémence, the fragile and mild-mannered neighbour, who turns into a female villain of memorable creepiness.