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Product Description
Heartbeat Detector is an immersive corporate thriller in which Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell And The Butterfly) plays Simon Kessler, an in-house corporate psychologist, who is asked to investigate the erratic behaviour of the company CEO (Michael Lonsdale). His investigations take him under the skin of his company, and its neutral corporate language, to dark, Caché-style transgressions.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: French ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Anamorphic Widescreen, Documentary, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: As a Parisian petrochemical company forges on into the 21st century, the in-house human resources psychologist leads a probe that proves the ghosts of the previous century still hold sway over current events in director Nicolas Klotz's labyrinthine drama. Simon (Mathieu Amalric) is a human resources worker who has spent the last seven years working at the Paris branch of a powerful German-based company called SC Farb. In addition to assessing the hiring and firing practices of the company, Simon was also charged with the task of conducting motivational workshops. When Assistant Director Karl Rose (Jean-Pierre Kalfon) implores Simon to conduct a clandestine assessment of firm director Mathias Jüst's (Michael Lonsdale) mental health after rumors of erratic behavior begin to circulate in the German head office, the shrewd human resources worker forms a factory orchestra as a means of stealthily gauging the stability of his violin-playing subject. Later, a comprehensive investigation of company archives and anonymous letters begin to snake ominously back in time to the darkest days of World War II. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Ceasar Awards, ...Heartbeat Detector ( La question humaine ) ( The Human Question (Heart beat Detector) )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heartbeat Detector,
By Jamie "Jamie" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Heartbeat Detector [DVD] [2007] (DVD)
This film is riveting and utterly engrossing. Upcoming Bond baddie Matthieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) gets a film to himself here - already a reason to watch - and the film that he gets is a chilling, provocative look at corporate life that will make you think twice about putting on your suit to go into the office again. The way that Nazi Germany creeps into the picture is terrifying. A staggering piece of cinema.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Pretentious,
By
This review is from: Heartbeat Detector [DVD] [2007] (DVD)
Mathieu Almaric is worth watching in the film and is one of those actors who always seems to be on the money. However, this is a bit of a dead loss otherwise as it resembles a thriller with all the excitement taken out. Instead of building to a climax, the film fizzles out to a voice over against a black screen bleakly describing the human consequences of the Holocaust.
Whilst the premise of the film could have been interesting (the use of Nazi techniques to improve the performance of the workforce of a large, multi-national company), the fine speeches distract from the flow of the film rather than enhance the narrative. Granted that it is well acted, an entertainment this film is a non-starter and ultimately this seemed to lack credibility. I was extremely disappointed in this film and found it extremely depressing. Generally I welcome films that deviate from the Hollywood norms, but in this instance it was over-long, lacked any tension and , in the end, rather baffling.
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you enjoy challenging material this could be for you.,
By
This review is from: Heartbeat Detector [DVD] [2007] (DVD)
Heartbeat Detector [2007]
"Heartbeat Detector" is one hell of a difficult film to fathom, it has taken me three viewings to understand just how complex and deep the issues raised in this film are. Simon Kessler (Mathieu Amalric) a corporate psychologist responsible for recruitment has also written the rule book for selecting staff for redundancy, and promoting corporate bonding. Confident and assured in his position he is suddenly asked to investigate the increasingly strange behaviour of CEO Mathias Just. The investigation leads him into his CEO's father's involvement in the early stages of the holocaust and he becomes increasingly disturbed, seeing false parallels between the NAZI persecution of ethnic minorities and his own selection methods, compounded by a report he reads on techniques used to prevent illegal immigrants concealing themselves in Lorries. Simon comes to perceive himself as a latter day Adolf Eichmann. The slow and subtle disintegration of Simon Kessler, some fine musical interludes tapping into his neurosis, his difficult relationship with his girlfriend Louisa (Laetitia Spigarelli), are all submerged in a complex dramaturgy with abstruse references to persecution. Fortunately the fine acting by all the principals holds the problematical material together, but at times one does question the direction. PROBLEM - is the film solely about the obsessive misguided collapse of an introverted and obsessive man, or is it a serious attempt to voice concerns about modern commercial disciplines running parallel to fascist regimes, possibly both. "Heartbeat Detector" is not a film for the faint hearted, instead it is a major challenge and one the film does not resolve. If you feel up to this kind of film you will not be disappointed, it was a fascinating and unique experience I not forget for a very long time.
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