Misericordia: A Peculiar & Gripping Thriller-Drama (Blu-ray)

The Film:

French writer/director Alain Guiraudie may not be particularly well-known around the world, but one glance at his history/filmography and one can see what's been a rather impressive career that he's built over the last few decades, which has included several films playing at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, such as "Stranger by the Lake" and Staying Vertical," and several Cesar Award nominations. Now he returns with his latest feature, an odd little thriller-drama called "Misericordia," which is being released on Blu-ray by the recently-renamed Criterion Premieres (formerly Janus Contemporaries). In a career that's seen him earn quite a lot of praise over the years, will he find himself lauded once again with this rather peculiar outing?

The film centers on Jeremie (Félix Kysyl), who returns to his hometown after the death of his former boss. He decides to stay with his boss' widow, Martine (Catherine Frot), for a few days, which causes complications with her son Vincent (Jean-Baptiste Durand), who is under the impression that Jeremie is trying to sleep with her. The tension between the men eventually escalates into a fight in which Jeremie kills Vincent and buries his body in the woods. Afterwards, the disappearance raises great concern from the village and the police, who become highly-suspicious of Jeremie and his tale of what happened between him & Vincent, a tale that only becomes more complicated when the local pastor (Jacques Develay) gets involved. Will Jeremie be able to get away with a crime he committed in the heat of anger, or will his attempted cover-up eventually come unraveled?

"Misericordia" is indeed a rather odd little outing. It starts off by being somewhat misleading in that it lulls you into thinking that it's going to be a standard tale of someone returning to their hometown, reconnecting with people, and potentially taking up residence there once again, and for that, it's fair to say that it has a pretty slow start as it takes its time setting the stage for what's to come. However, about 40 minutes in, we get the fascinating twist that kicks off the film's true plot, where the real meat of the film lies.

From here, it's a strangely gripping story that has us watching as Jeremie tries to keep up his deception, spinning a yarn about his involvement with Vincent in which he tries to make his disappearance make sense. Naturally, not all of it comes together, which only brings about more suspicion from the police & others, but that's when the local pastor steps in to intervene, adding his own pieces to the tale in an effort to help Jeremie for personal reasons. What emerges is a tense, engaging experience that has the audience hanging on to see how long Jeremie can keep this up, one that throws in plenty of curveballs along the way to shake things up.

Overall, it may start a little slow, and even after the main event, it may still proceed at a somewhat leisurely pace, but it always manages to keep your attention as we wait to see how it will all play out. It certainly has some unusual twists along the way, including some that come off as a little random at times, but it only adds to the film's peculiar and rather intriguing nature, ultimately making this odd little French outing one that's worth seeking out and giving a try.

Video/Audio:

"Misericordia" comes to Blu-ray in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of outstanding quality. The picture is beautifully sharp & clear throughout its entire 103-minute duration, perfectly highlighting its quaint setting & gorgeous cinematography. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue and music in excellent quality. Overall, Criterion Premieres has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's Blu-ray debut.

Special Features:

Meet the Filmmakers (18 Minutes): An interview with writer/director Alain Guiraudie in which he discusses the film, covering topics such as its themes and influences.

Conclusion:

Alain Guiraudie's "Misericordia" may have a somewhat slow start and a somewhat relaxed pace overall, but once its true plot kicks in, it becomes a rather gripping tale of a murderer desperately muddling through the process of covering up the deed, one that has the audience hanging on to see just how long he can keep up the deception, ultimately making this peculiar little thriller-drama one worth checking out.

Score: 3.5/5

Now available on Blu-ray.

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