User reviews

Having read some of the negative reviews regarding this film, I think the first thing to make clear here is that there is no point in watching this film if your idea of a perfect movie is Jurassic Park or The Da Vinci Code.

This is a film that focuses not on the story itself, but more on the characters and the emotions that reside within them. The above mentioned films take an idea for a story (a dinosaur filled wildlife park or a mysterious religious secret) and then devise a plot which is by far and away beyond what would ever happen in the real world.

In contrast, Monsieur Hire takes a story in which very little happens: A man is suspected of a murder. The man is a reclusive misfit, devoid of charm or humour, but he harbours a love for a woman he has never even met: a woman he knows only through seeing her from his apartment window. Unlike the aforementioned films, the plot, from beginning to end, can be summarised within just a few sentences. But it is what is behind the plot which makes this movie incredible. It is the notion of love which drives the film.

The acting and directing show passion that is more intense and sexual than anything I have seen, yet it does so without even a hint of what you would expect from a film described as "intense" and "sexual". The intensity of the love shown by the protagonist is beyond anything that one would have seen before, and yet it is far from the purity that one would normally associate with such an emotion. Indeed, it is dark and tense, and due to the questionable character of its object, one is left in turmoil as to whether this love is to be admired, pitied or instead viewed as just desserts for a man of his nature.

Those who have scored this low on the basis that the characters do not conduct themselves in a "believable way" confound me. The whole point of a film is that it takes you away from the everyday scenario. Most movies show you fairly ordinary people involved in extraordinary stories. This one shows you extraordinary characters involved in a story which (in itself) is fairly ordinary. To score this low based on its plot is to criticise Opera for its storyline. The whole point of the opera is its music, and the whole point of this film is its incredible portrayal of emotion. Brilliantly acted, brilliantly directed, and this will haunt you for some time.

If you need your films to be Hollywood factory typecasts then don't watch this. You won't enjoy it. Go and rent out The Expendibles, and leave Monsieur Hire to those who appreciate art when they see it. I'm sorry if that sounds pretentious. I enjoy a cheesy Hollywood flick as much as the next person, but it's sad that there are people who can't see beyond Stephen Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis.

"Monsieur Hire" is a compelling and deep character study which tells of a reclusive and peculiarly enigmatic and antisocial man, the title character, who is a suspect in a murder investigation and who obsessively watches a beautiful young woman from across his apartment courtyard. A methodically plodding, plaintive, and somber film-making masterwork, "M. Hire" offers none of the big budget bennies and cheap tinsel and titillation of the usual Hollywood fare. Likely to be a love it or hate it flick, "M. Hire" should appeal most to Europic devotees and those into psychodramas and character studies. (B+)

'Monsieur Hire' is a film where you can find elements of horror, mystery, romance and comedy blending with each other and the result is a really endearing piece of work.

This is a film that is majorly about the deceptiveness of appearances. 'Monsieur Hire explores the distinctions between what appears to be the truth and what is the actual truth, both in terms of facts and in terms of the nature of characters. Patrice Leconte uses the the screenplay and his camera to play around with the viewers with certain misleading shots and by deliberately withholding information. Certain ideas get set up in the minds of the viewer, but these ideas get undercut and turned on their heads with the unearthing of the actual truths towards the later parts of the film.

Patrice Leconte's style of artistically using the lighting and his way of establishing thematic and character conflicts by the using of colour(blue and red) reminded me of Kieślowski. 'Monsieur Hire' foreshadows films like 'The Double Life of Veronique' and 'Three Colours trilogy'. It also has a Hitchcock-like vibe to it in the way the film keeps the viewer guessing and on the edge of the seat with the way the mystery elements are handled. The camera movements are fluid, especially the sideways movement which at times contradict the movement of the characters in the scene. The beautiful operatic score helps Leconte to establish the theatrically poetic vibe that he is going for.

'Monsieur Hire' is driven forward by a dynamic, passionate and tender performance by Michel Blanc. He has to play a character who stays completely detached from the rest of the world, is very unsociable and not at all gregarious. Maybe similarities can be drawn between the characters of Hire and Gerd Wiesler from 'The Lives of Others'. Blanc forces the viewer to completely sympathise with him and root for him.

In a nutshell, 'Monsieur Hire' is a poetic, touching and visually polished piece of work that I can't help but recommend.

Solid and perfectly paced camera work and direction, players of exquisite talent and nuance, make this Simenon novel a powerful film . The winsomeness and cunning of Bonnaire, one of France's great actresses as the love object; the fanatic and unsettling calm conviction of the police detective played by Andre Wilms; the furtiveness, loneliness, and longing of the brilliant Michel Blanc; and the cowardliness and thugness of Thullier, a man made to play the thug, combine to make both a believable tale and a great metaphor for our need for "the other." The Brahms loop in the vital scenes of longing are a masterful touch. A work of great competence, sensitivity, and truth. What is essential in the novel but too subtly hinted at in the film, is anti-semitism only suggested by the revealing of M. Hire's original family name in questioning by the detective. A truly great film.

If you've ever been in a love triangle, or were kind to someone who loved you but you didn't really love them in return, you'll appreciate the sad dance of the three main characters in this film. A young man and woman are lovers, and she is watched by her neighbor, the unpopular Mr. Hire, black sheep of a Paris near-suburban nabe. They begin a friendship, and even a relationship of sorts, while a cop tries to pin the murder of a young local girl, also an odd duck, on Mr. Hire. Not wanting to spoil the story for you, I won't say more, except to say that the slow parts are tolerable if you know in advance that this is a very thoughtful, haunting movie and you've got to be a little patient for the wonderful reward, which comes right at the end. Very pretty music, beautiful colors and details, lots of sad little moments that remind you of the loneliness of daily life. I wouldn't actually recommend this to most people. I don't think they'd tolerate the lack of Hollywood flash. If you're smart, you'll watch it though. I got it on DVD at a public library and wish I could see it on a big screen, though the DVD images are very lovely.

Monsieur Hire

For a man who likes great cinematography, nice colors and a pretty female face, this film offers all of the above for me.

Director Patrice Leconte usually makes stylish movies and this is no exception. It's beautiful to view. So is Sandrine Bonnaire, the leading lady. I'll have to see what other films have her in them. There are numerous closeups of her in this movie. This French effort doesn't show much "skin," yet the film has an erotic appeal. That tells you something.

Michel Blanc, the male lead, plays a strange character but he's fascinating to watch, too.

To be honest, the film has its slow moments but it is mesmerizing at times, too. The story is interesting overall and aided by two surprise twists at the end.

I am perplexed and frustrated over why this film is not available on DVD on which this great photography could really be shown off.

This movie is without a doubt, one of the best and most depressing movies that I've seen in a long time. With minimal expense a masterpiece was made in this film. The actors embodied both sensuality and callousness within the confines of a single scene. Not sinking to a trashy voyeur level, this movie proves that nudity is not necessary for sexuality, but at the same time displays one of life's little known truths. We all need to love and be loved.

A lonely man, also a strange man according to his neighbors, is a peeping tom, who takes pleasure to watching her beautiful neighbor's private activities. On the other hand, he is suspected for a murder. The police is after him.

One of the slowest movies. Some great moments are really very enjoyable. I loved to watch this movie except it is slow in developing. I was going to rate it 5 or 6 but the ending inspire me to rate it 7.

Recommended for those who love romance at the same time lonely mood.

Two love stories mixed in one.

One of my all time favourite French films. It glows with provocations and peril. It rides the slim line between voyeurism and beauty and just manages to entice the viewer into the world of a lonely man. Do not listen to me, go and watch it.

Although this film that is a remake of the Julien Duvivier's "Panique" (released in 1945) only lasts about one hour and twenty minutes, there is so much to say about it. Among the qualities that this film shows, the most important is its main actor. Indeed, Michel Blanc performs brilliantly this weird character hated by everyone that is Monsieur Hire. Moreover, we can notice that the film doesn't only focus on the plot, it also focuses on the character of Monsieur Hire himself. Of course, this man is unpleasant towards his neighbours, but Patrice Leconte attempts to make us touching this man. Among the other qualities, let's quote: Sandrine Bonnaire's performance which is smooth but cruel, the good use of Brahms' music, the quality of the photography and the film set (especially Hire's flat). As a conclusion, a great film from a director who is, however, more famous for his comic films such as "Les Bronzés", "Viens chez moi, j'habite chez une copine".

There's a Term Paper waiting to be written on why it is that Georges Simenon's novels are only so-so when read but gain an extra dimension when cinematicised, if I may coin a phrase. This is the second time around for this one, Julien Duvivier did a first-rate job back in 1947/8, shooting in black and white with the great Michel Simon and a passable Viviane Romance, under the title 'Panique'. Patrice Leconte is no slouch either and he has moved on light years from 'Les Bronzes' and turned out a string of intriguing, offbeat, enchanting and excellent films, indeed, his track-record is the equal of any of the great post-war French film makers (and totally eclipses, it should go without saying the pretentious pairing of Godard and Truffaut)and with illustrious names like Jean-Pierre Melville, Alain Cornau, Claude Sautet, Bertrand Tavernier, Jean-Paul Rappeneau, and newer kids on the block in the shape of Ann Fontaine, Daniele Thompson, Agnes Jouai, Zabou, etc, that is saying something. Here he turns in a very tasty offbeat entry and finds in Michel Blanc the perfect leading man to convey at one and the same time a sense of isolation and inner strength. This is a film in which most, if not all the characters have an agenda. The lazy cop just wants to nail the sad son of a bitch who he considers perfect patsy material just because he chooses not to socialize with his neighbors. This is now a crime? Alice, the subject of Hire's open voyeurism is anxious to keep suspicion from falling where it should, her own boyfriend, but such is the quality of Sandrine Bonnaire's acting (she turns in an equally offbeat and ambiguous performance in Leconte's latest film, 'Confidences trop Intimes', currently on release)that we can't be sure that she doesn't REALLY fancy Michel Blanc's essentially colorless Hire. Hire himself is not interested in diverting suspicion from himself, as he could so easily do, as protecting Alice, with whom he has fallen in love, from both the indifference of her boyfriend (which, natch, she can't see) and the repercussions should he (Hire) talk to the gendarmes. The only jarring note in fact is the aggravating Michal Nyman grating sounds that pass for music in his circle of pseuds. Pity I couldn't rewrite that to read Jarre-ing notes, had Leconte had the good taste to hire Maurice Jarre, or indeed, ANYONE bona fide musician. That cavil to one side this remains an absorbing film, not perhaps quite eclipsing 'Panique' but certainly fit to stand beside it. 8/10

An American movie in French for me. Filled with forced sentimentality and melodrama, Monsieur Hire is ever predictable. It seems to follow a template many similar movies follow. Sandrine Bonnaire is lovely as always in a less than interesting role. Skip this movie I'd say, not awful, but more of the same and not very interesting.

He is a quiet man, Monsieur Hire (Michel Blanc). A balding, middle aged fellow, a misanthrope and a recluse, he doesn't socialize much. None of the neighbours talk to him either; conversations die down and they start whispering as he passes by. A tailor by profession, Hire is particular about his appearance. He keeps some pet white rats at home. When one of the pet rats dies, he carefully wraps it in a piece of cloth and gives it a respectful water burial! He seems to be a good, honest man, but no one really knows much about him. Perhaps they don't want to know. But they don't miss a chance to sneak a curious peek at him like he is some alien being. When Hire realizes this, he promptly snaps back "Want a photograph?" Some neighbourhood kids make fun of him by throwing flour on him or making fun of him. He just brushes all of this off and holds no grudge against anyone. He just isn't bothered; wants to be left alone, as always.

It is no surprise then, that when one young woman is found murdered in the vicinity, he automatically becomes the prime suspect. Blame it on the neighbourhood! And more so, because a taxi driver saw a figure somewhat matching Monsieur Hire's description run towards the same block where Monsieur Hire resides. The police detective starts pursuing his suspect; there's no evidence yet that can implicate Hire, but the detective is in hot pursuit.

Monsieur Hire seems unperturbed, though. There is nothing that can possibly connect him. He has just become an easy target because he is "not sociable; and people don't like that". So Hire goes about his daily, mundane, boring routine; amongst his pastimes and necessities is a visit to the bowling alley, he is a champion at the game and is well admired by onlookers who give him a round of applause for he never misses scoring a perfect strike, even when blindfolded. He acknowledges their adulation with a forced smile. He also spends time at a brothel once in a while to satisfy his sexual needs but seems to be getting increasingly weary of it.

And then there's Alice (Sandrine Bonnaire), his object of affection who stays in the neighbouring apartment complex. He spends most of his time standing in his window, simply observing Alice through her open window directly in front of his. She has never noticed; has in fact, always thought that Hire's apartment was empty and therefore never felt the need to put up drapes! Hire observes Alice's every move, as she dresses, undresses, eats, sleeps, and once in a while makes out with her no good fiancé Emile (Luc Thuillier). Hire also is a lover of music and plugs in the same record on his player, the soulful Quatuor en Sol Mineur Op. 25 de Brahms, every time he stands to watch Alice. Hire just wants to watch. He is in love, but he knows there isn't much he can do about it. He just watches. It becomes apparent that Emile doesn't seem to be serious about marrying Alice. Alice knows this, but she loves him. Everything changes one day when Alice finally gets a good look at the ghostly face that has been staring at her all this time....

Director Patrice Leconte's effortless storytelling does a laudable job of building Hire's character for the viewers in a considerably short time. Right from the first frame, as the body of the young woman is discovered, Leconte's 1989 film "Monsieur Hire" has the power to grip! Sure, there is a murder. But solving the murder is least of film's concerns. Who did the killing is secondary. The murder acts as a catalyst and alters the status quo. How this killing decides the fate of our two central characters; that forms the crux of this heartwrenching story.

In its modest running time of about 1 hour 17 minutes or so, there is not one wasted moment and we can instantly connect to the two lead characters, Hire and Alice. These characters are both very human. They have their secrets, they have their ambitions, they have their motivations and in the end they have their secret desires! And therefore, not everything is out in the open; not just as yet. There is a lot going on in these characters' minds which we aren't given a peek at. The voyeur in us doesn't have the kind of luck Monsieur Hire has, as he gets to see Alice's life like a Live reality show! But Leconte has a purpose. For deep within the layers of this deeply moving psychological drama lies the darkest of human traits; motivations that drive a person to take the step they take, that might shatter all beliefs, all the hope one has instilled in humanity. There are important lessons to be learnt. Oft-stated idioms "Don't judge a book by its cover" are reinforced. Appearances are indeed deceiving. Your curmudgeonly, neglected next door neighbor could perhaps be an angel in disguise! But then there is the bigger question of trust and inherent cynicism that we social beings have to live with. How much can we know at face value? In the end, we are only human! Michel Blanc instantly makes an impression; his pale, round face, although deadpan most of the times, speaks volumes at its most vulnerable. Sandrine Bonnaire does justice to the kind of unreserved character she is playing.

There is a strong chance that no matter how surrounded you are by people, you will end up feeling all alone when you reach the film's shattering climax. "Monsiure Hire" is a melancholic character study of a lonesome man who falls in love. But at what price? Score: 9/10

There's no doubt that this is an excellent production and that it deserves to enter the canon of good French films, but there is one big problem with it: Michel Blanc is too young. He was 37 when the film was made, and Sandrine Bonnaire was 22. The age difference is not sufficient to make him a pervert or her flirtation with him bizarre. Blanc does a good job being the weirdly solo Monsieur Hire, but he never looks old enough. There's a lack of shock value in the central scene of her flirtation with him. Perhaps, too, it is because writer/director Patrice Leconte is coy about revealing Bonnaire's nakedness, and that of her killer/lover.

Well, I certainly don't think I've seen another film like "Monsieur Hire", that's for sure. The plot is super-unusual and engaging. It's the story about a very disengaged man and his very unusual life.

Monsieur Hire is a loner and has no friends. In fact, he goes out of his way to not have friends. Most of his free time is spent watching from his apartment window--watching a lady in the apartment across from him. When another women is murdered, the suspicious neighbors naturally think this creepy little man is responsible. However, there is no proof.

Here is where it starts to get even more strange. One night when he's staring at the woman, she is startled to see him. Now you'd think she would call the police but doesn't. I could easily say what's going to happen next but don't want to spoil the many plot twists. Suffice to say, the film surprises the viewer again and again.

This is a film best enjoyed knowing little about it. However, a few words of warning. The film is very creepy and difficult to watch at times. And, if you are looking for a film with a happy ending or deep meaning, then this is NOT a film for you. But, if you have longed to see a movie that is different and can accept the film for what it is, then it's a real treat. A sad and ultimately depressing treat but a treat.

I'll give Monsieur Hire a six stars rating. Six is to me a good movie that I will only watch once. I was interested in this movie because it's based on a book from Georges Simenon that lived only a few blocks from where I lived in Liège, Belgium. His novels always have some mystery and a surprising ending. Another reason for me to watch Monsieur Hire was to see Michel Blanc playing a serious role for once. He's normally known to play in comedies in which he usually excels. In Monsieur Hire it's all more serious but certainly not bad. Michel Blanc is just a good French actor that can play anything if he wants. Michel Blanc is a bit a voyeur and is in love with Sandrine Bonnaire in this movie and his unconditional love for her makes him do unusual things. Slow paced but intriguing, with excellent acting, worth a watch.

Lonely, middle-aged tailor Monsieur Hire (Michel Blanc) compulsively peeps out his apartment window into the apartment of the pretty blonde Alice (Sandrine Bonnaire) across the way. She finds out and seems to find it a little exciting. But this opening doesn't give a clue where this spellbinding story of passion and betrayal is headed.

Meanwhile, someone has murdered a young girl and dumped her body in the park near where Hire lives. The detective has his eye on Hire, perhaps because Hire is considered a weirdo in the neighborhood. He doesn't like other people and they don't like him (except, oddly, at the bowling alley).

The story centers around the emerging relationship between Hire and Alice as they meet and get to know each other. Complicating things is the fact that she is engaged to be married to someone else. The motives behind their words and actions are not clear at first and even seem contradictory.

Plot points are doled out slowly at first and the early part of the film requires patience. But towards the end, as a clear picture emerges of what is actually happening, the movie builds to a nail-biting conclusion and as intensely emotional a finish as I've ever seen.

The final slow-motion coda put a lump in my throat. If you care about stories of profound love, you should see this.

In 1940s, due to the widespread commercial as well critical success of his thriller films, the undisputed master of French cinema, Henri Georges Clouzot was dubbed "The Gallic Hitchcock" by Anglophone press. However, after his demise, this title was not transferred to any other French director for a long time as nobody had the ability to come closer to the cinematographic vision which Clouzot shared with Hitchcock. By directing "Monsieur Hire", an ambitiously intelligent thriller based on "Les Fiançailles De Monsieur Hire" written by Belgian thriller writer Georges Simenon, Patrice Leconte showed true signs of being considered for this coveted title. "Monsieur Hire" was Leconte's first foray into the world of suspense thriller as his earlier films were all comedies meant to tickle viewers' funny bones in France. One still remembers with avid interest "Les Bronzés" which continues to make French cinema audiences laugh out loud at their own idiosyncrasies. Monsieur Hire is a superb study in alienation where voyeurism makes its presence felt at regular intervals. At this juncture, it needs to be mentioned that in no way does voyeurism preempt the film's main theme which concerns the price one pays for unrequited love. The character of "Monsieur Hire" undergoes numerous changes as in the past it was depicted in a completely different manner to suit tastes of a bygone era. This is one reason why there is a huge difference between a bearded "Monsieur Hire" as portrayed by one of French cinema's greatest actors-Michel Simon in "Panique" (1946) directed by Julien Duvivier as opposed to a bald "Monsieur Hire" as represented by Michel Blanc in this film.

This handsome psychological mystery might have been remarkable if only it had:

A) some plausible psychology, and

B) a worthwhile mystery.

Instead, all it offers is a lot of self-conscious style and a compelling performance by Michel Blanc, playing a pathologically anti-social tailor (and murder suspect) who develops a voyeuristic obsession with Sandrine Bonnaire. The story (loosely based on a George Simenon novel) could have presented an intriguing game between the observer and the observed, but because the guilty party is identified too soon the final resolution is more sensible than surprising. The film, by design, is even more cool and detached than its title character, setting an effective mood with its claustrophobic wide-screen photography, but the lack of any adequate background puts all the action in a (very attractive) void. In the end it amounts to little more than a big tease with no real payoff: the climactic, final 15 minutes are no more special than the first 73.