I am puzzled as to why these particular three films have been boxed up together by Artificial Eye as they comprise a mediocre historical drama (Story of Women) and a decent quirky thriller (Masques) from the mid 80s with a brilliant psychological thriller from 1999 (The Colour of Lies). The good news is that these are all getting their first releases on DVD in the UK, and the last film alone would make this a near-essential purchase.
'The Colour of Lies' is a very atmospheric film, one of Chabrol's best, with a strong sense of location on the misty coast of Brittany and a very dark, sinister undercurrent throughout; questionable characters and an uneasy atmosphere, all making for an engrossing viewing. I remember seeing it at the cinema on release and being very surprised about how good Antoine de Caunes (British TV viewers may remember him from Rapido and Eurotrash) is in a key role. Having seen all the Chabrol films I can lay my hands on over the years, this is right up there with Le Boucher and La Femme Infidele.
The problem here is that while 'Colour of Lies' is probably a 5-star film, the other two are two and three stars and good enough to pass the time but not, contrary to the title of this set, 'essential' Chabrol. Lies is however also available on Region 1 DVD for anyone with a multiregion player....