Fred Astaire-fan Clément invites comic-book artist Luc to Sunday dinner with Clément and his wife Violette. Luc's girlfriend Margot announces her pregnancy, prompting Luc to forget about the invitation, but Clément insists that Luc join him. After Luc arrives and sees that Violette is only a life-size plastic doll, he decides to leave but gets clobbered on the head. Awakening, he finds he's been handcuffed to the bathroom sink and gagged. Cruelties ensue, with crazed Clément getting visionary advice from both Astaire and Violette.
Acting
Rochefort's unhinged politeness—terrifying because he never stops being charming.
Direction
Haïm traps you in Clément's apartment like a fourth captive.
Practical Effects
That plastic doll is somehow more disturbing than any CGI monster.
Director
Philippe Haïm
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jean Rochefort performed his own Fred Astaire dance homage after months of training, refusing a body double.
The film belongs to a peculiar 1990s French subgenre of 'polite horror'—think *Man Bites Dog* meets *Le Dîner de Cons* gone wrong.
FR
