i have always be a patrice leconte devotee . his career in which incoherence and eclecticism get on well together ( perhaps that why he often slat by french critic ) be one of the most fruitful you could dream of and even if french mainstream public often associate his name with le bronzés ( 1978 ) and a commercial hit which put him on the map as well a the actor and the famous troupe of the splendid and tend to overshadow the rest of his prolific career which spawn treasure like tandem ( 1987 ) and monsieur hire ( 1989 ) or le mari de la coiffeuse ( 1990 ) . this vehicle la veuve de saint pierre ( 2000 ) be originally to be direct by another veteran of french cinema alain corneau ( who sadly shoot the insipid prince du pacifique that year and perhaps the nadir of his career ) but he turn down the role due to dispute with the producer . so and patrice leconte inherit the project . his choice be motivate by the desire to work with one of the two main role and juliette binoche ( he have team up with daniel auteuil the previous year for la fille sur le pont and 1999 ) the title of the film have a double meaning represent the veuve refers to binoche after her husband demise . the opening sequence present her to u in her mourning garb ( leconte work be serve by lavish costume ) . the audience know that she be the veuve and will discover in the long flashback and how she have lose her husband . but a veuve be also a slang word for the sinister guillotine and it have a tongue in cheek connotation represent saint pierre unlike france hasn not get a death instrument and must have one . all the time and the island be deprive of a guillotine and it remain a veuve . there be clearly two side . on the one hand and the officer who govern the island and be die hards of the death sentence and on the other hand and the private triangle which encompass auteuil and binoche and kusturica . between the two pole and the impending threat of the execution with the recur image of the ship sail across the atlantic with on board the guillotine . the scenario eschew the tempting trap of the manicheism and the officer aren not caricature . a a matter of fact and one of the main thrust of the film be to deride the leader of the island who seek at all cost to keep the death sentence and their obstinacy be make ludicrous by the postpone of the sentence and the last word of the voice over contain grim detail which give a slap to one of doctor guillotin famous word represent a painless death be a progress for humanity . moreover and they prove to be unscrupulous because when a new inhabitant settle on the island and they entrust him the role of the executioner without take care of his opinion . in the private triangle and madame la by guide neel on the way of redemption be full of condescension and solicitude but she a complex character . her reason and motivation to redeem neel be rather elusive even if she say ( i do not remember the accurate cue ) represent i think human soul be unpredictable and can be able to become conscientious and intelligent . a little gratifying cue which should have be more construed and flesh out and remain an inkling . then and why would she encourage the sacrifice of such a devoted husband to try to save a convict killer whereas it doom to failure . be it a response to her husband love . ( if auteuil sacrifice himself it for love for his wife and respect for neel ) . certainly and if so and leconte piece of work be a novel and quirky approach on the relationship between husband and wife and a quite notable feat for an author who have seldom study this topic in his filmography and except maybe in le mari de la coiffeuse . buoy by a more than palatable cast with a special mention to emir kusturica who be a discerning choice because he could convey vulnerability and fragility to his persona of great strap man and la veuve de saint pierre may be derivative if we consider the theme of redemption and the thrust quote in the fourth paragraph but it treatment be a far cry from hollywood formulaic convention . how to rank it in leconte uneven but usually rivet filmography . it isn not on a par with his tower achievement but stand out a a more than palatable flick which however could have gain by be more deepen .