According to the website spanishdict.com, “Misericordia means mercy or compassion in Spanish.” The title of the film by writer/director Alain Guiraudie interested me and so did the description of the film I was provided with prior to the screening of the film last month:
In Misericordia, the entwined ambiguities of love and death haunt the meandering exploits of Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), an out-of-work baker who has drifted back to his hometown after the death of his beloved former boss. Staying long after the funeral, the seemingly benign Jérémie begins to casually insinuate himself into his late mentor’s family. He lives with the kind-hearted widow (Catherine Frot) and is stalked by the venomously jealous son (Jean-Baptiste Durand), while building a strange yet meaningful friendship with a pragmatic local priest (Jacques Develay). Before long, small-town pleasantries are tangled into a web of violent criminal behavior and erotic physical desire.
Guiraudie’s fantastic story is set in a small village (not a full town as we may know in the US), Saint-Martial. The bakery owner has passed away and Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), a former employee, is driving to attend the funeral. We learn he is out-of-work and decides to stay awhile, especially after the widow, Martine (Catherine Frot), offers him the spare bedroom to stay in while visiting. Her very angry son, Vincent (Jean-Baptiste Durand), objects to this arrangement despite Jérémie having been a childhood friend. Vincent is married, with a child and works. The audience sees how much Vincent is upset, to the point of being unhinged day after day.
Jérémie has been long gone from the village and most residents question is his motive for staying. Remember this is a village with few people, so they enjoy long walks in the countryside, and entertainment is to go forage for mushrooms along the way. Everyone wants to know.
Jérémie may have thought he was going to enjoy some peacefulness in the remote village he used to call home, who knows, but not only is the widow happy to have him around, surprisingly, so is the cheerful local priest, L’abbé Philippe Griseul (Jacques Develay). They develop a friendship that I did not see coming and yes, it does become beneficial for Jérémie to rest a little easier.
This crime/drama with dark comedy was thoroughly entertaining for me, given the good script and the excellent performances by the whole cast. I am not familiar with all the filmmaker’s work, but I hope to view some more of his films, especially Stranger by the Lake that is repeatedly mentioned by movie fans/critics.
France, 2024, 1h 42min, DCP, In French with English subtitles. [France, Spain, Portugal]
For more information on films and tickets, visit www.austinfilm.org/screening/misericordia/
Source: AFS Cinema, Distributor: Sideshow and Janus Films
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