Confidentially Yours

Estate agent Julien Vercel is the prime suspect in two murders. Every piece of evidence the police hold points at him. While he hides, his secretary Barbara takes over, puts on disguises and wigs and goes looking for the real killer. Francois Truffaut directed, and it was his last film; he died the following year. The source is a crime novel by Charles Williams. Fanny Ardant plays Barbara, Jean-Louis Trintignant plays Julien. It was shot in black and white on purpose: the film imitates the look of American noir directly, shadows, blind slats and night rain included. The tone is not serious. Truffaut uses the murder plot as an act of affection and keeps sliding the tension into comedy; the real centre is Ardant's energy. That a director returned to genre at the end of his career and did it almost as play gives the film a particular place in hindsight. Who it is for: viewers who like classic crime templates and Truffaut. Who it is not for: anyone wanting genuine suspense; the film lets seriousness go deliberately.