Diff 2015 review: ‘A Decent Man’

If you looking for a heartwarming story about family, love and trust, then you’re in the wrong place.

Emmanuel Finkiel’s film Je ne suis pas un salaud is a gripping film with great build-up and inter-character tension.

The cinematography in the film is its main selling point, using a combination of close-ups and medium shots, which tell us a lot about the characters’ states of mind. The actual clips are generally quite short, which makes the movie feel surprisingly fast-paced for a near two-hour film.

Je ne suis pas un salaud (I am not an [expletive] in French), or its equally ironic English title A Decent Man, tells the story of Eddie Moreau, a lazy, divorced alcoholic who, after being fired from his job in sales, decides to hit the clubs to find a woman.

Heading home with his newly acquired lady-friend, he sees a young teen robbing a car; overwhelmed by a sense of justice (or trying to make an impression) he intervenes only to be left stabbed in a puddle of blood.

Ironically, the robbery is possibly the only positive thing that happens to Eddie as he slowly begins to reunite with his ex-wife and son.

But Eddie’s jealousy and inability to see a silver lining leaves him blaming the stabbing on successful salesman Ahmad. The story is a telling of the evils of pride and jealousy that ultimately lead to Eddie’s self destruction.

Nicolas Duvauchelle’s portrayal of Eddie was spot-on, from his facial expressions, which go from sad and depressed to downright psycho, to his maniacal swearing and furniture demolition.

The film does a good job at making you feel bad for Eddie despite his obvious poor character and decision-making, but the more time passes, any doubts are quickly ironed out. Melanie Thierry’s performance, on the other hand, was lacklustre; I feel a lot more could’ve been done to develop her character to push away from the dull, sobbing wife archetype.

Overall the film is a pretty good watch and keeps you guessing, as you never know when Eddie is going to snap. If you’re looking for an over-the-top drama with enough screaming to fill a mental asylum, be sure to check A Decent Man.

Just make sure you have something lively to watch afterwards.