Chaos (2001)
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85% of critics liked it
(52 reviews) -
79% of users liked it
(857 ratings)
In this satirical comedy drama from France, white-collar workaholic Paul (Vincent Lindon) and his high-strung wife Helene (Catherine Frot) are driving to a party one evening when a young woman leaps into the path of their car, crying for help. Paul refuses to let her into the car, and soon several… More In this satirical comedy drama from France, white-collar workaholic Paul (Vincent Lindon) and his high-strung wife Helene (Catherine Frot) are driving to a party one evening when a young woman leaps into the path of their car, crying for help. Paul refuses to let her into the car, and soon several men catch up with the woman and begin beating her savagely. Paul insists on staying out of the matter, but Helene feels some sense of responsibility for what happened, and begins spending most of her time at the hospital where the woman remains unconscious. In time, it's determined that the woman's name is Noémie (Rachida Brakni), she's 22 years old, and works as a prostitute. By this time, Helene has become obsessed with protecting Noémie, and when a strange man (Wojtek Pszoniak) attempts to sign her out of the hospital, claiming he's her uncle, Helene sneaks Noémie out posing as a nurse and takes her to her mother-in-law's country house to recover. Eventually, Noémie is well enough to tell her harrowing story -- she was brought to France from Algeria by her father, along with her sister, and fell into life as a streetwalker shortly after learning that her family had sold her hand in marriage her to a man back in Algeria. Director Coline Serreau shot Chaos using digital video equipment -- and was impressed enough with the experience that she announced she had no interest in shooting on 35 mm film ever again. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Coline Serreau
- Written By
- Coline Serreau
- Genres
- Drama, Art House & International, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jan 29, 2003 Limited
- On DVD
- Dec 16, 2003
- Studio
- New Yorker Films
Critic Reviews
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Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
There's a core of anger running throughout Chaos, particularly in the steely performances by its two female leads, that gives this satisfying feminist revenge drama/satire its soul.
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Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Writer-director Coline Serreau moves from stark drama to laughter with a tightrope walker's unerring balance.
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Bill Muller, Arizona Republic
Despite some odd pacing and a longish, off-putting flashback, Chaos succeeds more than it fails.
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Stanley Kauffmann, The New Republic
The picture holds us, not only through our wonderment at the mixture but through Serreau's dexterity and her casting.
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Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
One heck of a tale of deliciously unladylike payback.
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Cast
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Catherine Frot
as Helene
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Vincent Lindon
as Paul
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Rachida Brakni
as Noémie / Malika, Noémie / Malika, No?mi...
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Line Renaud
as Grandma
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Aurélien Wiik
as Fabrice
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Wojciech Pszoniak
as Pali
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Ivan Franek
as Touki
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Chloe Lambert
as Florence
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Marie Denarnaud
as Charlotte
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Michel Lagueyrie
as Marsat
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Hajar Nouma
as Zora
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Jean-Marc Stehle
as Blanchet
