Monsieur Batignole

Aroview: An ironic comedy set in WW2 Paris, in which the titular butcher helps himself to an apartment vacated by a Jewish family who have been rounded up by the Nazis and slowly faces the moral consequences.

When one of the Jewish children returns he feels drawn to reluctantly assume the mantle of heroism, and yet remains an ambiguous character, the film probing, in its own broad way, the complex nature of 'collaboration' and 'resistance'. At times shifting queasily beneath its heavy themes, this is ultimately engaging, resting on some touching performances and crafted storytelling.

NZ International Film Festival 2003

more matches…