Dark but laboured thriller in which a small Breton fishing village is devastated in the wake of the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl. A tortured artist, Rene, (Jacques Gamblin) -who taught the young girl drawing - is chief among the suspects, and is understandably distraught by the death of the girl and the police and media interest. Things worsen when he learns that his wife, whom he relies on for almost everything, has begun an affair with a media starlet (played with aplomb by Eurotrash stalwart Antoine De Caunes). Chabrol seems intent on documenting the affect effects of a tragic event on the town's inhabitants, and this is a thoughtful measured film, but one that loses momentum at vital periods. Although the performances - especially De Caunes - are quite good, the film lacks the bite needed to make it a truly memorable stuff, preferring to meander than gallop. Still, Au Coeur Du Mensonge is a whole lot better than most of bigger budgeted American rivals.
