Recognized for heart-warming films including The women of 6e stage and Molière on a bicycle (Quebec title having replaced Alceste in bycicle), Philippe Le Guay had never tackled such a dark theme before. This change of register, put at the service of a very important subject on the social level, however hardly befits a filmmaker whose manner here proves to be a little too heavy.
In his defense, the right tone must have been very difficult to find. By evoking this story that really happened to very close friends, Philippe Le Guay had the ambition to illustrate the mechanics that lead people to deny historical facts, to subscribe to conspiracy theories and to try to convince the world of misinformation which they now speak for. With, always, this insidious way of not affirming anything, but of implying by “simply asking questions”.
This aspect of The Man in the Cellar is obviously interesting, especially since it echoes a very contemporary issue. François Cluzet also plays the card of ambiguity to the fullest by slipping into the skin of this solitary man, Holocaust denier and conspiracy fighter, who tries to spread his nauseating ideas among the inhabitants of the building where the cellar is located. where he settled. Even the daughter of the couple who sold him this space intended solely for storing things could perhaps be convinced…
In wanting to create a thriller atmosphere, Philippe Le Guay however orchestrates a story that is often winded and not very credible. Shame.
Already offered on the Crave platform, The Man in the Cellar is out now on the big screen.
Thriller
The Man in the Cellar
Philippe LeGuay
With François Cluzet, Berenice Bejo, Jérémie Renier
1:54 a.m.
In theaters and on Crave