La Ceremonie (1995)
A captivating slow reveal thriller from start to finish. Everything seems innocent and pretty mundane at first, with Sophie starting as a maid and generally being treated well enough, though we see small hints of general classist arrogance. Gradually we get the sense of something being hidden and later some horrifying stories about the past is revealed. Initially, as a regular viewer I am inclined to first side with the working class against the privileged upper class people. Most movies of that type also tends to go for redemption for the underdog. Which is exactly what makes this movie great is how that pre-assumption is challenged and turned around. It was weird seeing Huppert playing the almost quirky and rebellious role here, as I would normally put here in Sophie’s role or as one of the upper class people, but she masters her role perfectly and so does Sandrine Bonnaire. Absolute joy seeing those together.
Rating: 4