Claude Chabrol’s
Nightcap (Merci pour le Chocolat) is what you might have gotten from Alfred
Hitchcock’s Rebecca had it been a comedy. There is a mystery at the center of
the film, but the reveal comes as less of a surprise as the casual manner with
which the film’s murderous culprit justifies and dismisses these evil actions.
Even the revelations of criminal insanity are not enough to disturb the
pristine veneer of upper class wealth.
The film begins
with the highly publicized remarriage of a famed concert pianist to his second
wife, Mika (Isabelle Huppert), after the death of his third. André (Jacques
Dutronc) also has a grown son from his first marriage named Guillaume (Rodolphe
Pauly), who appears to get along well with Mika. Despite the remarriage, their
life seems to already be in a comfortable routine until a surprise visit from a
young woman born on the same day as Guillaume and nearly switched with him at
birth due to a similarity in last names.
Although it
seems unlikely that anyone truly believes that Jeanne (Anna Mouglalis) is
really André’s daughter, her coincidental pursuit of a career as a pianist
instantly gives her more of a connection with him than with his own son.
Despite the fact that Guillaume is the one expected to be jealous of this new
arrival, they inevitably form a bond through suspicions of unsavory actions
committed by Mika. As the head of a lucrative Swiss chocolate company, Mika
insists on making the family hot chocolate as an evening nightcap for the
entire family, which Jeanne inquisitively discovers is being laced with
sedatives.
Even when we
know where the film is headed, it is a devious treat to enjoy because of
Huppert’s captivating performance. This makes what might have otherwise been an
underwhelming film into something wickedly enjoyable. Made in 2000, the release
of Nightcap on Blu-ray seems oddly timed, though thankfully fourteen years has
not dated this crime comedy. The Blu-ray release includes an audio commentary
with film critics Wade Major and Andy Klein, as well as a new essay from critic
Peter Tonguette in the booklet insert. There is also a re-release trailer.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 7/10
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