Monsieur Hire (1989)

Patrice Leconte's subtle, insinuating thriller becomes much more than it at first appears. What seems to be a psychological thriller about an obsessive-compulsive voyeur suspected of a young woman's murder turns into an exercise in existential angst similar to Albert Camus' classic Existentialist novel The Stranger. Like Camus' protagonist, M. Hire leads a life of deadening routine on the fringes of society, remains aloof from others, and is suspected of committing murder. Michel Blanc plays Hire's cool, non-verbal fastidiousness with just the right touch of quiet yearning. However, Leconte adds an intriguingly Hitchcockian element in the object of M. Hire's desire. Rather than feeling victimized by Hire's obsessive voyeurism, the woman (Sandrine Bonnaire) is seduced by it, becoming a watcher of the watcher. This twist provokes the audience to study the film's themes from at least two perspectives at all times. The film's silences are profound, and the camera fills the void by moving seamlessly from one perspective to another, layering image upon image and forcing the audience to interpret the character's emotions and motives, since their words reveal so little. A sophisticated study of detachment and alienation, Leconte's film is a tragic and enigmatic masterpiece. ~ Dan Jardine, All Movie Guide