Chaos – French film (2001)

Last night, J and I rented the film Chaos. It’s a French film made in 2001. I absolutely loved it. The plot of the movie is so melodramatic that it is almost comical and light hearted. However, the movie is underpinned with serious themes that in a way, sadly reflects our current society – where life is about our selfish needs and not about others.

There are so many running themes that it seemed almost chaotic as suggest by the title but in my opinion, it is a perfect mess. The film held my interest for the full 109 minutes even from the start. The movie started off with a bang when a professional French couple, Paul and Helene, coincidentally witness a prostitute, Noemie, being bashed up by pimps. She was savagely beaten up in front of their car bonnet. As a result, her blood dripped over their windscreen. Paul, instead of helping the girl, locked their doors for their own safety at the expense of the girl’s life. When the pimps left, the girl lay motionlessly on the ground. Paul got out of the car. One would presume that he would help the girl. However, unexpectedly, he started wiping her blood off his windscreen and then drove off. His wife was shocked and asked him, “Should we call the ambulance?”

He replied in a matter-of-fact tone, “Can’t you see blood on my windscreen. I need to wash this car.”

The next scene brings us to an automatic carwash place with wipers washing off the blood. It was a representation of how Paul could easily wipe off the bloody memory of the girl who was bashed up till near death.

Helene, cannot forget the incident, and the next day she goes to the hospital, where she finds the prostitute, Noémie, in a coma. Moved, Hélène stops work and leaves her family responsibilities to stay with Noémie throughout her recovery, aiding her as she regains mobility and helping her to communicate since she can't yet speak. It is surprising as to why Helene would help a complete stranger when she normally leads a self-absorbed life. Helene herself cannot understand and says to Noemie, “I don’t know why I’m here too.” Helene’s own life is in chaos with a dysfunctional relationship with her husband and son yet she immerses herself in helping someone else out of her mess.

The rest in italics is taken from Wikipedia

When one of the pimps returns to threaten Noémie, Hélène follows him out of the hospital, knocks him unconscious, and leaves him for the police to find.

Meanwhile, Paul and Hélène's son Fabrice, a university student, is cheating on his girlfriend with another girl, who is pregnant. When his girlfriend discovers the truth, she destroys his apartment. He moves into Paul's apartment just as Hélène moves out, and the two girls follow him, much to Paul's chagrin.

When Hélène returns home for a day, one of Noémie's pimps goes to the hospital with a friend and removes Noémie under the pretense that they are relatives taking her for a walk. Noémie, who still cannot speak, is unable to protest. Hélène meets them on the sidewalk and, realizing that Noémie is not safe at the hospital, "kidnaps" her and brings her to Paul's mother's house. Here Noémie recovers her ability to talk, and relates her life story: her name is actually Malika, and she is a French-Algerian immigrant.

As Malika recovers, the two plan Malika's freedom and revenge on her abusers. Hélène's life changes forever as the selfishness of her husband and son becomes apparent.

Some might view this as a feminist film, in that all women are heroines and all men are bad. I don’t know whether that was the intention of the director. However, in my opinion, despite the plot of the film, the movie did not come across as a feminist one. Perhaps its because, nearing the end of the movie, Helene asked L whether she could trust again. Helene continued, “Not all men are bad.”

I love this movie. It is definitely one of my favourites. Be prepared though, you’ll either hate it or love it. It is not catered for the general audience.