L'Argent
Director: Robert Bresson
Year Released: 1983
Rating: 4.0
Methodical final film by Bresson about what happens when two teenage boys buy a picture frame with fake money and the snowball effect it has on several people, especially a mild-tempered young man with a family to support who is imprisoned because of it. It's cynical but truly profound, and the seachange that takes place in the 'calm' man is chillingly real - how the obsession with money (hence the French title) ruins relationships, how the wrong people can sometimes be falsely imprisoned and how sane individuals can be driven mad by a long string of setbacks and bad luck. Every twitch of the camera, every setup appears to be calculated - Bresson belongs in the minimalist camp, giving you everything you need and nothing more (he 'trims the fat,' leaving only the main portion of the film). Although he died in 1999, this was the last movie he made - and with it being such a powerful statement, he didn't need to make another.
