Mado

[MADO - (1976) - directed by Claude Sautet - in French with English subtitles] Quintessential European star and national treasure Michel Piccoli portrays Simon, a wealthy middle-aged businessman who co-owns a company that is rapidly becoming insolvent due to the reckless spending habits, fuzzy accounting records and considerable debt amassed by his partner Julien. To make matters worse, the notes he's borrowing are being held by a notoriously unscrupulous businessman, Lepidon, with ties to organized crime. His racket is to lend enough notes of debt until they can't be repaid timely, then allowing his lawyers to issue letters of demand, and when repayment can't be made, negotiating a take over of the company with low-ball bids that amount to pennies on the dollar of the company's true worth, causing financial ruin to those who forged the companies with the sweat off their backs and the blood of their toils. Its another fine example of Capitalism at its finest kids.Upon disclosure of these activities and overcome with guilt, Julien ends up committing suicide. Simon and his father, who is a partner as well, gather their attorneys to assess the damages, and it's none too pretty a picture. In fact, it makes a Goya painting look like a Georgia O'Keefe watercolor. They begin selling assets to make the note payments, but still come up short. At the same time, Simon, who's divorced, is going through a mid-life crisis, and has a quasi-relationship with Mado, a 'working girl' in her early twenties he sees several times a week. Her demeanor reminds him that the women of today aren't the compliant creatures he recalls from his youth. They share a group of acquaintances, some personal, some professional, so their social lives overlap periodically, and sometimes a bit too often. He confides in her about his predicament, and she soon hatches a plan to aid Simon so he doesn't lose control of his company and the last of his finances. It involves gathering evidence against Lepidon, a bit of blackmail and a possible unexpected outcome.While it may sound like a crime drama or thriller, this is strictly a character-driven tale rather than a plot-driven one, so fans of action will be sorely depressed, but those spectators who can immerse themselves in a pool of absorbing, well-drawn characters with personal ticks, traumas and a will to go forward and employ the cards they've been dealt to play with should find this film deserving of their time and attention. It's amusing how foul weather plays an important role in the fourth act as we witness the characters nearly drowning in dilemma and simultaneously drawn to one another for reasons not altogether explained, just as in life. They laugh, they cry, they fret, they play, they move on and Simon finally confronts a crossroads he's avoided for quite some time. Michel Piccoli is excellent, as always, as is Ottavia Piccolo as the resourceful and enigmatic Mado. There's also a small role by the deliciously yet tragic Romy Schneider that I wish was fleshed out more, but I'll take her any way I can. Director Claude Sautet chooses an austere, neo-classic style of shooting here, allowing us to concentrate more on those in front of the camera than the person behind it. Aficionados of French drama with a neorealist 70's vibe, a dash of clever cynicism and a pinch of pathos will find themselves enrapt; all else should approach with caution.

A bit dated but still. a good story

In the seventies you could only see movies in movie theatres and not every movie was shown. With internet you can search and reed about good movies.

This is a great movie by a major, if somewhat under-recognized, director. I hope that Amazon will acquire more of Sautet's films.

When I wished to watch this disc it stopped after 115 min - so now I 'll never know how it ends.

The portrait of a dynamic tranche of French society in the seventies with its passions and fears.

Excelente oportunidad para seguir conociendo la obra de Claude Sautet. Un profundo estudio del personaje principal interpretado por Michel Piccoli junto con una buena historia de negocios sucios. El video tiene una muy buena calidad e imagen. La película tiene una pequeña aparición de Romy Schneider, una colaboración para sus dos amigos: Sautet y Piccoli

Sautet ha la rara dote di riuscire a mescolare i lati drammatici con quelli comici della vita con la misura giusta, senza inutili appesantimenti. Uno dei suoi lavori più riusciti in questo senso è "Tre amici, le mogli e (affettuosamente) le altre". Parecchi suoi film si distinguono per la grazia con cui narrano fatti di ogni giorno, come "Nelly e Monsieur Arnaud". E' insomma tra i migliori registi francesi della seconda metà del secolo scorso.Sautet ha il dono raro di saper dosare drammaticità e comicità quasi

Eigentlich, eigentlich gefallen mir unbesehen alle Filme mit Romy Schneider und Michel Piccoli- bis auf diesen. Die Handlung ist nicht uninteressant, doch nimmt sie mich weder gefangen noch kann sie mich emotional berühren. Die Erzählform wirkt verquast und verzettelt. Wo bleibt ein angemessener Spannungsbogen? Eine Aneinanderreihung verschiedener Handlungsplätze und Personen.Romy Schneider glänzt in der Rolle als Alkoholikerin, doch leider dauert diese Sequenz nur wenige Minuten. Michel Piccoli wirkt uninspiriert.

Je ne connaissais pas du tout ce film avec un titre si étrange. Je suis frappé par la foule d'acteurs connus en second plan:Julien Guiomar, Michel Aumont, Charles Denner, Jean Bouise (petite apparition). Je signale néanmoins que les acteurs qu'on voit le plus et surtout qui sont au 1er plan sont Michel Piccoli et la jeune Ottavia Piccolo, même Jacques Dutronc est effacé dans ce film. Le film se laisse voir et a un rythme, c'est le classique d'un adulte épris pour une jeune fille à s'en rendre malade tellement il subit. Je suis étonné de la présence de Romy Schneider qui apparaît 2 minutes dans le film. La fin est malheureusement nulle.

La jacquette montre bien en évidence Romy SCHNEIDER, mais elle ne fait qu'une courte apparition dans le film .Malgré tout, Michel PICCOLI et Ottavia PICCOLO, sont au devant du film, secondés par l'excellent Jacques DUTRONC .Une intrigue autour du monde impitoyable des promoteurs immobiliers . Bref, un Claude SAUTET, pur et dur !