Place Vendôme (1998)

This film would get absolutely no attention otherwise. Story/plot are a convoluted mess; direction and editing are mediocre or worse. Production values are high, but that's pretty typical these days. Lurches from one jarring and opaque scene to another. Especially bizarre is a scene where Deneuve is quite abruptly shown on a train, drunkenly involved in a tough game of cards. Also a very annoying thread runs throughout the film, where various women are showing yelling at men who are bothering them "no leave me alone", then there's a jump to the next scene where they are in bed together.

I love French movies, and Catherine Deneuve is one of the actresses I like the best. In the 90's, she has done outstanding work in Thieves/Voleurs and My Favorite Season/Mon Saison Favori.I was extremely disappointed in this film...a diamond scam film that has been done before, and better. It does have some good points: there is a very nice vintage noir atmosphere, and Deneuve gives a nuanced performance has the alcoholic wife of the owner of an upscale jewelery store (in Place Vendome...Paris, hence the title). He commits suicide and she is suddenly thrust into a world where there is no one to take care of her and she must find her own resources.She does a nice job of this, but unfortunately, the film didn't make me care very much about her or any of the other characters. The plot involving stolen diamonds is convoluted, and doesn't appear to make make much sense. It looks like it was re-written too many times and some of the motivating scenes and explicatory scenes got left out. I really wanted to like this movie, but I felt like this was perhaps the worst movie I've ever seen Catherine Deneuve in.It's not bad like a really bad Hollywood movie is godawful bad, with explosions and trash talk trying to fill the emptiness, but it's just dull and not fun.Two stars.If you are looking to rent a film with Catherine Deneuve, try "Thieves" or "My Favorite Season"-Bruce

The plot of this film may centre around scams in the the diamond trade but don't expect slick plotlines and witty, glamorous characters. The film offers instead a look behind the glamour at individuals worn down by their lives, by wrong decisions and damaging relationships. These relationships have developed between characters involved at some time in questionable aspects of the trade and appear to suffer as if mirroring the dishonesty and deceitfulness of the scams. It is a story told at a slow pace allowing the details to unfold and to enable us to get to know the characters and understand their motivation. The acting is superb, particularly Catherine Deneuve, and the film ends on a note which suggests some kind of atonement and reconciliation.

Only for Catherine Deneuve's performance, this movie deserves your attention. She is troubling, beautiful, captivating. A whole life's experience is generously invested in this performance. The story is not bad, some other performances are not as satisfying (e.g. Dutronc), but it is an enjoyable movie overall. And again, a great lesson in acting.