Poulet au vinaigre [Cop au Vin] **** (1985, Jean Poiret, Stéphane Audran, Michel Bouquet) – Classic Movie Review 3551

Mystery genre master Claude Chabrol’s highly popular 1985 French cop thriller, wittily and punningly called Cop au Vin for its English-language release, is directed in style by the esteemed French director, expert concoctor of French provincial mysteries à la his idol, Alfred Hitchcock.

The magnetic Stéphane Audran (the second Madame Chabrol, the director’s previous wife) plays the crippled heroine who won’t sell her property to a group of local businessmen, one of whom is found dead. Jean Poiret is extremely engaging as the cop, the out-of-town police inspector, Inspecteur Jean Lavardin, is sent to investigate. The playfully cynical Chabrol enjoys himself at the expense of the discreetly charmless bourgeoisie, and, as a great gourmet sharing Hitchcock’s passion for food and wine, he comes up with a couple of tasty meal-time sequences.

Perhaps it is not quite Chabrol’s absolute finest, but it is most satisfying and enjoyable and it proved extremely successful too, prompting a sequel: Inspecteur Lavardin. The screenplay by Chabrol and Dominique Roulet is based on Dominique Roulet’s novel Un Mort en Trop.

Also in the cast are Michel Bouquet, Jean Topart, Lucas Blevaux, Pauline Lafont, Caroline Cellier and Josephine Chaplin.

Audran and Chabrol were married from 1964 to 1980. Chabrol directed her in 24 movies, a TV movie and a TV episode. His relationship with Audran ended when he fell in love with his frequent collaborator Aurore Chabrol (née Aurore Pajot). They married in 1981. Chabrol died on September 12 2010, aged 80.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3551

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