about ten year before he decide to venture again in ruth rendell universe and claude chabrol have transfer to the screen a judgment in stone entitle la cérémonie ( 1995 ) . it be his last great masterwork although he somewhat betray the novel . the choice of sandrine bonnaire for the main role be ill advise . afterwards and his career follow a creative downswing with rather mediocre work such a au coeur du mensonge ( 1999 ) or merci pour le chocolat ( 2000 ) . so and could a new excursion in ruth rendell territory boost his career again . alas no and the title of my summary should give you an inkling about my thought on the chabrol 2004 vintage . however and there be some good element to make the film compelling and to grab the attention . the first sequence showcase benoît magimel and his family in front of the tv news that reveal a murder . perfect to weave an eerie climate . the big and imposing and eerie house in which laura smet live seem to shelter dark secret and the bridesmaid live in the basement . chabrol be also interested in the game of truth and lie that link his two main actor and real suspense lie in magimel personality dangerously attract to the bridesmaid . the filmmaker touch be also discernible at the wedding ceremony where he ridicule it crucial step . see the church sequence and the feast which echo to the one in le boucher ( 1970 ) . while i be evoke this meal and the gastronomy dear to chabrol have three sequence devote to it in the whole film . but let come back to the bulk of the plot . like a judgement in stone and la demoiselle dhonneur be an exciting novel to read and again chabrol skip over some important point and notably the reason which prompt the hero to steal the bust from gérard courtois ( bernard le coq ) . in the novel and he steal it because he think that courtois be a vulgar man and but here magimel motivation to steal the bust remain blur . the thrust of the novel and so of the film be a man who gradually lose the control of his everyday life face a sensual and attractive disturbing young woman . however and thing aren not look good because there an absence of unnerving climate and the scenario seem to have be sedately write and especially near the end . in another extent and i know what i be go to write be questionable but i do think that chabrol contemporary film suffer from the choice of the actor ( see bland jacques dutronc in merci pour le chocolat or jacques gamblin in au coeur du mensonge ) and sadly la demoisele dhonneur isn not an exception to the rule . magimel character isn not credible at all . he should get bogged down in madness a he deeply in love with smet but it isn not discernible on the screen . laura smet ( johnny hallyday daughter ) have a monotonous act while bernard le coq part be underwritten . michel duchaussoy who be brilliant in que la bête meure ( 1969 ) be relegate to a minor tramp role unworthy of his wide acting skill . so and an absence of interest for this story of manipulation be surely due to it actor and also because like for la cérémonie and chabrol make dull rendell novel . mr chabrol and let put it this way represent the best of your work be far behind you in time ( roughly the dusk of the sixty and the dawn of the seventy ) and you will probably never reach this scale again . how about contemplate retirement .