Laure Calamy shines as Stéphane, a woman down on her luck who reaches out to the wealthy father she’s never met. Working at a fish cannery and on the brink of homelessness, she calls Serge after years apart. Played by Jacques Weber, Serge is a restaurant mogul living a life of luxury through dubious means. Though he is nearing the end, he remains as cutthroat as ever.
Stéphane journeys to Serge’s palatial estate, where she encounters his frosty family. Dominique Blanc is hysterical as Serge’s wife Louise, decorating their home like an eccentric collector gone wild. Doria Tillier embodies the ice queen as George, fighting to take over her father’s empire despite disapproval. Under shiny surfaces lurk ulterior motives, with everyone eyeing a stake in Serge’s fortune.
Director Sébastien Marnier casts an observant eye on this dysfunctional clan. Through clever split screens, he isolates characters to pick apart private intentions. We glimpse beyond polite pretenses to the sinister scheming underneath. At the helm is Calamy’s inscrutable Stéphane, a woman of mystery navigating treacherous waters. As dark secrets emerge and bodies pile up, no one’s motives are as they seem in this twisted tale of money and betrayal.
Trouble at the Factory
Life hasn’t been easy for Stéphane. We’re introduced to her in the cramped locker room of the fish cannery where she works, surrounded by drab gray walls and cloudy steam. It’s not glamorous, that’s for sure, but it’s provided a paycheck—until now.
Bad news is coming. Layoffs are happening, and her number may be up, leaving Stéphane scrambling. Things aren’t looking much sunnier back home either. With money tight, her landlady is booting her out to make room for another. Where will she go?
It’s then that Stéphane thinks to contact the father she’s never known. In stark contrast, we see Serge living in opulence on a private island, surrounded by blue water as far as the eye can see. His mansion looks like something out of a storybook, with all its high ceilings and flowing decor. Even his golf clubs gleam brighter than Stéphane’s entire kitchen. And it’s not just wealth on display; there’s an aura of power here too. You can tell this is a man used to getting his way.
Director Sébastien Marnier paints these two worlds in telling tones. Harsh grayish hues depict Stéphane’s factory life, reinforcing the feel of being trapped somewhere dreary. But the camera practically glows as it sweeps through Serge’s home, filling the screen with vibrant color.
It’s a visual story all its own, setting up the stark divide between these two unfamiliar family members from the very start. Things are about to get interesting when their paths cross. But will one world accept an interloper from the other?
Family and Fraud
So what’s the deal with Stéphane? Is she really out for her father’s fortune, like the others suspect? There’s more to her than meets the eye, it seems. Laure Calamy does a fantastic job portraying a woman with layers of complexity.
On the surface, Stéphane comes across sympathetic—down on her luck with her job in jeopardy. Reaching out to her estranged father is an act of desperation, not greed. Yet Calamy hints at deeper motivations simmering below, a vulnerability covered by polite smiles. There’s clearly trauma in her past that shaped who she is.
Things get murkier once Stéphane meets her newfound family. Her tale of owning a fish cannery rings false, of course, showing a willingness to bend the truth. But can you blame her for puffing up her credentials among such snakes as Serge and co.? This is where Calamy’s nuanced performance really shines, leaving us guessing as to Stéphane’s true intentions. Is she a schemer born of necessity or born bad? Even she may not know at this point.
If Stéphane is an enigma, the wealthy clan could not be more transparently toxic. Serge, played with gruff charm by Jacques Weber, sees people as possessions. His arrogance and chauvinism are rivaled only by his miserliness. Dominique Blanc is pitch perfect as bubbly yet barbed wife Louise, throwing shade while gazing at her latest purchases. And Doria Tillier embodies corporate villainess as frigid daughter George, always scanning for weaknesses to exploit.
Under Marnier’s direction, these performances inject the right mix of intrigue and revulsion. Viewers love to dislike detestable characters, and this family drips with hateful charisma. They make Stéphane, however flawed, seem like an underdog worth rooting for. Much credit goes to the superb ensemble for keeping audiences guessing in this twisted tale of family and fraud.
Questioning Trust
From the moment she arrives, Stéphane spins quite a web to gain favor with the wealthy clan. Right off the bat, she fibs about owning that fish cannery rather than facing the truth about her factory job. I can’t say I blame her, given the frosty welcome! Still, it sets the stage for a performance that keeps even us spectators wondering—what does this woman really want?
She seems to bond with her father, Serge, though it’s clear money’s not the only motive there. Power within the family also appeals to the cunning old patriarch, and Stéphane proves an able ally in fending off George’s bid for control. Their alliance spurs more deceptions that pull the rivalries taut. Yet beneath Calamy’s warm smiles exists a vulnerability, a past she’d rather not discuss. What drove her to such drastic measures?
Her girlfriend Nathalie remains shrouded too; their passionate yet complex prison visits leave more questions. Step by subtle step, Stéphane’s true objectives grow cloudier, raising doubts if anyone here plays straight. The director draws us right into this chaos of shifting masks, as even minor characters harbor agendas.
By sowing distrust so skillfully, the film keeps us as perplexed as the characters themselves. We can’t discount that Stéphane may harbor the deepest deception of all. Or that there exists a method in the madness, motivations beyond mere greed. Only by peeling back the layers might an “origin of evil” emerge, though what exactly remains frustratingly obscure. In this battle of wills and wits, it seems the last one, deceiving, wins out in the end.
Secrets and Lies
This family clearly has some deep divisions, and Stéphane’s arrival only makes things more complicated. Her early fibs may seem harmless enough, like claiming ownership of that fish plant. But little deceits have a way of spiraling as suspicion takes hold.
It doesn’t help that the daughter George seems cold as ice. From their first meeting, you can feel the dislike, and George wastes no time warning Stéphane off. I can’t say I blame her caution—who knows what this stranger wants from their wealthy father? But hostility will only breed more hostility at this rate.
Tensions climb when Stéphane starts earning Serge’s favor, perhaps sensing an ally in his power struggle. Their growing bond puts even more noses out of joint and fans the flames of resentment simmering for years. The wife Louise takes a particular disliking to her brash new “relative,” suspecting darker motives beyond a simple desire for family.
Loyalties also shift amid these crosscurrents. Stéphane finds support in unexpected places while former allegiances fracture. Even trusty housekeeper Agnès starts acting peculiar, snooping where she’s not wanted. Everything feels like a performance as characters play their parts, but whose is authentic, and who hides a whole other script?
By the time another spanner gets thrown in the works, no one quite knows who to believe. Least of all each other. You can slice this distrust with a knife. Only one thing’s for sure: where there’s fortune and frustration in equal measure, it’s just a matter of time before something boils over. The question is what form that eruption might take.
Wealth and Deception
This film has a lot to say about the corrupting power of money. Virtually every character is driven to lie, manipulate, and betray others due to their focus on accessing Serge’s fortune. Even Stéphane’s early “deception” about owning that factory seems fairly small considering the webs of duplicity the family weaves.
Marnier clearly knows his thriller techniques too. He frames shots like a master, using visual motifs to ratchet up unease. Remember how the steam in that locker room felt so dreamlike? And those split screens are no mere gimmick; they put us right in the room to judge each character’s reactions. It’s pure Hitchcock in its subtlety.
Elsewhere, you can spot influences from De Palma in Marnier’s dynamic camerawork and fondness for revealing conversations. But he never feels derivative; he puts his own creative stamp on proceedings. You feel he knows these films inside out yet isn’t afraid to put his unique spin on the genre.
Overall, the movie pays homage to great directors who came before while still forging its own identity. If it leaves you craving more of Marnier’s slick, subversive storytelling, I’d say that’s the mark of a true talent making waves in the thriller world. Money may talk, but deception will always follow in its wake.
Intrigue and Insight
This film packs an entertaining punch as a page-turning mystery with its fair share of surprises. But Marnier’s script ensures the thrills are grounded and the characters are multi-dimensional. Through it all, Calamy anchors the piece with a performance brimming with subtness.
The family dynamics elicit curiosity as power plays emerge. But Marnier sees beyond surface villainy, showing how past wounds shape present actions. Money may stir conflict, yet human desires for love transcend wealth.
Viewers can feel confident entering this twisted world. Texture and insight enrich the turns of the plot. And what a cast—each fully inhabits complex people rather than caricatures. Their nuanced work brings even unsavory characters to life.
For all the intrigue, this remains a story about belonging and identity and our impact on one another. Dark though tones may run, glimmers of empathy and redemption also shine through.
Under Marnier’s steady hand, quality storytelling emerges triumphant over formula or shock value. With this display of skill, expect his talent to only grow in refining layered characters and unpredictable yarns. Fans of emotional, visually striking cinema will find much to appreciate in his evolving craft.
The Review
The Origin of Evil
The Origin of Evil proves to be a cunningly plotted family mystery with devious turns that keep audiences guessing until the final moments. Though darkness lurks in its characters, director Sébastien Marnier finds humanity within their schemes. Anchored by Laure Calamy's transformative central performance, this is slick, compelling entertainment that leaves an impression long after the ending is revealed.
PROS
- a twisty, well-paced plot that keeps viewers engaged.
- Strong performance by Laure Calamy in the central role
- Complex, multilayered characters beyond one-dimensional tropes
- High production values and skilled direction from Sébastien Marnier
- Provokes thought on themes of family, wealth, and human nature
CONS
- Some may find the plot convoluted or the characters unsympathetic at times.
- Excessive running time tests viewers' patience in parts.
- Leans toward style over substance on occasion.
