Scene of The Crime (Le lieu du Crime), directed by Andre Techine, is the 18th installment of the Catherine Deneuve retrospective underway this month at BAM. It was a front runner at Cannes in 1986 and Danielle Darrieux--who plays Deneuve's mother in the film--took home a Cesar Award for best actress the following year. Both facts are puzzling to me as it feels like ineffectual melodrama and while Darrieux delivers a fine performance, her role is minimal. But, we are talking about Catherine Deneuve.
Deneuve plays Lili Ravanel, a woman apart and diminished by what life has returned to her. She falls for Martin, an escaped convict, in what appears to be a purposeful act against her better judgement, throwing her life into chaos.
A successful story--in whatever form it takes-evokes empathy. This film is problematic in that it seems that critical details or events were omitted. Thus, it is difficult to uncover that sentiment while watching this film. Lili's affair with Martin, takes hold suddenly, save for a glimmer of attraction the night of their first encounter, when her maternal nature allows her to fend for him in his drunken, homeless state; it is hardly engaging, let alone life-changing. Yet, when Martin ditches his get-away car and returns to her making grand declarations again, suddenly binding them together, Lili is ready to harbor and run away with this stranger. The scenery however beautiful, does suggest repetition and confinement, reflected in the relationships Lili maintains with her family and her environment. And while anyone can identify with that experience, it is difficult to comprehend her insistence on letting her life go from bad to worse, in the course of three days. Likewise, while Martin seems sincere in his attachment to Lili, we are shown so little of their shotgun romance, it is difficult to believe.
While Lili's son Thomas' role is necessary in that he ties everyone together, these events conceivably could have happened without his participation. More than anything else, he was a source of aggravation for everyone in his life and therefore, difficult to empathize with at any point in the film.
Even the title is questionable as it addresses only a brief episode in the film. While it is the impetus for the rest of the plot, things could have picked up where Lili and Martin meet.
While it is entertaining to watch Deneuve in any role, this film is hardly memorable.
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