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With Le Couperet the Grand Old Man of the political thriller has based his story on something as topical as growing unemployment – but he delivers an intelligent Hitchcock-like film with room for both suspense and black humour.
When the otherwise kind family father Bruno is fired after 15 years in the paper industry, he has trouble finding a new job and sees no way out, other than getting rid of everyone who shares his qualifications.
But the road to a dream job is long – especially if you’re not that skilled as a murderer and also have to deal with marriage counselling and a rebellious teenage son. The audience is entirely on Bruno’s side, and the fast-paced script based on a novel by Donald Westlake keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. (Summary from International Copenhagen Film Festival 2005)
Featuring: José Garcia .... Bruno Davert Another summary from www.tribecafilmfestival.org A laid-off worker devises a novel approach to finding a new job-by physically 'eliminating' other possible applicants-in this mercilessly entertaining comedy from director Costa-Gavras (Z, Missing). Based on a pulp novel by American author Donald Westlake, The Ax puts outsourcing, downsizing, and other 21st Century business trends where they belong: on the chopping block. When we first meet the middle-aged Bruno, he appears to be a not-so-polished international assassin, but as he confesses his life's story we realize that murder is merely a stepping stone to a more ruthless dream: rejoining corporate life. Having been made redundant from his job in the paper-making industry, Bruno was unemployed, bitter, and humiliated for over two years until he decided to adapt capitalism's market forces to the labor market; in other words, to eliminate all competition, by any means necessary. When a prime job at a paper factory opens up, Bruno gathers the names of potential candidates, and starts 'downsizing.' Still a loving father and good husband, Bruno juggles dinner with his kids, couples counseling with his wife, and body disposals. José Garcia gives Bruno a bumbling appeal in his single-minded approach to avoiding 'the ax,' while Olivier Gourmet is suitably steel-jawed as a rival businessman high on Bruno's 'redundancy' list. Like Battle Royale in a Wall Street setting, The Ax takes the logic of capitalism to its illogical extreme, and makes sure you will never hear a CEO talk of 'making a killing' the same way again. More films created by Constantin Costa-Gavras |
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