Unlike in most frantic American crime stories, France's Inspector Bellamy leisurely rambles about its characters as if they were the story, not the crime. And indeed they are: Inspector Paul Bellamy (Gerard Depardieu) is as uncomfortable with the crime subject's different personas as he is with his own past, most notably with his half-brother, Jacques Lebas (Clovie Cornillac), who shows up to renew their sibling rivalry."French Hitchcock" director Claude Chabrol selects each shot for its maximum information, frequently illuminating more than one character, more than one motive. For the French, the highest incentive for crime or a happy life seems to be love, and Chabrol explores the various twists infidelity and family can toss into the crime solving mix. True to his New Wave roots, Chabrol lards each image with meaning while couching the story in a languid realism, less edgy now than years ago, but still full of life's ironies while life is lived out in an almost mundane fashion.More interesting than the multiple personalities of the suspect is the intimate dance of the hero, Bellamy, and his attractive wife, Francoise (Marie Bunel), who provides him with intellectual companionship, sexual longing, and a bit of jealousy for good measure. The lovely chemistry between Depardieu and Bunel reminds me of how authentic a good character study like this can be in the hands of a master director. While Depardieu has developed a belly beyond reason, he still delivers the emotional goods, just as retired Inspector Bellamy can successfully solve a crime. Imagine all this richness without discernible CGI. For good reason: The emphasis is on the husband-wife relationship, not the crime. So it is in most European cinema, or at least it seems that way to an American critic who has seen enough of his country's gadget-centered films.

Claude Chabrol, one of the best French directors of the last century, had a glorious career. Sadly, the man that gave movie fans so much pleasure passed away recently. "Bellamy" was his last full length feature which we caught in its commercial release recently at IFC. The last part of this master's career, alas, pales in comparison to the first period when he started directing after a distinguished career as a film critic and historian.In a way, this film cannot be considered one of his best efforts. Mr. Chabrol had never worked with Gerard Depardieu at all, so this film was supposed to be a sort of tribute to the actor, as the main character in the film is modeled in some aspect of the performer, as conceived in the mind of the director. The end result is a film that, while being considered a crime movie, has other elements, not the typical product of a man that made a career out of mystery and suspense.Gerard Depardieu does excellent work for Mr. Chabrol, although with his new acquired girth, he is far from the ideal man to play this inspector on vacation in Southern France. There are interesting appearances by Clovis Cornillac, Jacques Gamblin, and Marie Bunel, who plays Mrs. Bellamy.Edoardo Serra, who had worked with Mr. Chabrol extensively, is the director of photography. Mr. Serra, in a way, makes the film much better than what it is. Matthieu Chabrol's musical score adds character to the production. Claude Chabrol's disappearance from the French cinema will certainly be missed because it is an irreplaceable loss.

Where do I start? I have watched nearly all Depardieu's films over the years along with his compatriot Daniel Auteil. I was so looking forward to watching this but now rather than it joining my collection it has gone in the trash can.What was this giant of an actor (Jean De Florette and 36 Quai Des Orfèvres) doing in such a dull and meandering film? What was it's purpose? Was it a romance - drama? Was it supposed to be a peculiar crime thriller? Was it a last fling from the ancient Claude Chabrol? No, it was none of these, it was downright embarrassing and cringe worthy.Given the fact that Depardieu is not short of a few million Euros - he owns three restaurants in Paris and a few vineyards - one can't say he was doing it for the money. Maybe he's turning into a sado-masochist in his old age and enjoys regurgitating turgid scripts. Whatever, it was one of the the most miserable and clumsiest films ever. Poor lighting, wooden acting - except for the talents of Marie Bunel and the gypsy eyed Vahina Giocante who attempted to bring it to life - give up girls. And then there was the plot. Plot is also a term used for a small piece of land. That's what the film represented, an uncultivated plot with an abundance of weeds.And finally. What was the downright nonsense with the lawyer singing in court? Was that Chabrol trying to ridicule the viewer? Was it some 'in-joke'? Regardless it didn't fit in with the film - unless Chabrol wanted it to be a musical but senility won the day and he forgot what the film was about.I can't close without making an observation on Depardieu's excessive weight. What is he doing to himself? The man is gi-normous! If he doesn't slim soon he won't be making any more films. Get it together Gerard!

I got so bored during the movie that it felt like losing time. So I won't waste more time in talking about it for long. Don't even bother to watch this boring story (if there is one)... Fortunately I had been invited. There's a man, his brother, his wife. A criminal, someone dies. It could have been another story. Right, We've been here before, haven't we? I'm so happy to be out of the theater, I'll now have a good cup of tea, it's midnight, it seems as if my scarce memory of the movie is fading away. Good, I won't have to talk about it anymore... Stay home instead of going to watch this, it's SO useless, really it is Chabrol at his worst. Maybe at some stage it might help to keep some dignity and stop making movies so appalling...