Starring: Omar Sy, Alex Lutz, Ana Girardot, Sabine Azema, Andrea Ferreol, Pascal Elbe, Helene Vincent, Rufus
Distributor: Umbrella Films
Runtime: 114 mins. Reviewed in Aug 2018
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While this is a very watchable film, there is a certain uneasiness underlying the response. It concerns the conman, the nature of frauds, the effect on victims of the cons. One of the descriptions to use the central character in the original novel on which this film is based is that of “charlatan”, which is a bit more derogatory than “conman”.
The film is very, as the French might say “geniale”, and so is Knock, the conman. But there is the underlying question, when is a conman a rogue and when is he a helpful row.
The original novel was to written in the 1920s, adapted for theatre, filmed as something of a classic in 1951. The setting in this version is the 1950s, with reference to memories of World War II.
Knock is played by Omar Sy, who made such an impression in The Intouchables as well as Samba and Two is a Family (also appearing in Jurassic World and an X-Men film). Sy can’t help but be charming – although at first he is seen being pursued by criminals to whom he owes money and being bashed. He gets away from them, taking a job on a boat to India, standing in, with the Captain’s consent, as a doctor. He has some success with patients and learns a lot, returning to Marseille in order to study medicine.
The bulk of the film takes place five years later in a very attractive Alpine village (beautifully filmed in widescreen format). He is still the conman, even though qualified, and his goal is to make money even as he helps people. And, help people he does, contrasting with the previous doctor who gave them herb teas. He gets in pleasant cahoots with the pharmacist who is not against making money either, nor his wife who becomes infatuated with Knock. At first he offers free consultations – with long lines coming. He is able to talk easily with people, the alcoholic postman, the rather harridan manager of a farm, a rich old lady, all the locals, in fact, so that business thrives.
However, he has a flair for understanding human nature and being able to persuade the patients to help themselves. So far, so good.
The young parish priest, Alex Lutz, takes in immediate dislike to Knock. He undermines him, contradicts him, accuses him of being a liar, is on the alert to catch him out at any cost, utilising gossip and some information from the confessional to denounce him, the exact opposite of the classic “Diary of a Country Priest” by Georges Bernanos, which was screening in France in those years. This makes the film anti-clerical, (anti-clericalism having a strong French tradition), the character giving just grounds for anti-clerical responses.
There is a dramatic crisis as Knock helps a serving girl with tuberculosis, the priest capitalising on a ceremony in the church for a final confrontation with Knock, but the congregation, the townspeople turning against the priest and supporting Knock.
Entertaining, a number of the characters in the town being rather stereotyped, a more sentimental interpretation of the conman – that is the nature of the conman’s charm.
Peter Malone MSC is an Associate of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting.
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