The Adventures of a Hatter What do aging, respectable hatter Leon Laby do on wet, rainy evenings in a small, gray town where everyone knows each other, goes to the same beer room, plays the same card game, sleeps with the same prostitute and reads the same newspaper? Where to go if you are waiting at home for a paralyzed wife, who has not left the confines of your room for fifteen years, who, fortunately, has not lost the gift of speech and tirelessly reminds you of her grief with hysterics, and howls about your perversion and libertine connections with a whore Berta and a cook Louise? And you'd love to sin, but the beautiful Bertha is always busy, and the poor cook is ugly and sullen. And yet, on the contrary, lives a curious neighbor-tailor Kashudas, a pathetic immigrant, running after you on his heels and almost in love (as you know, maybe not without reciprocity, he-he), striving in your face to approach the parochial, even if God knows what, but still beaumonde. It is not known exactly when, from the intense search for a way out of this vicious circle, Monsieur Labi began to have problems with his head, but only one day he became sick, so to speak, all over his head. But the way out was found, however, somewhat extravagant and, alas, temporary.
And here sleepy town shakes a series of high-profile crimes. The mysterious strangler methodically kills older women, and sends letters to the newspaper with threats of further reprisals. Leon Labie, sincere and brazen in his madness, is not too worried about conspiracy. He is choked by bouts of joyful laughter - so amusing are these "stupid fools" sitting next to him, and never worthy of seeing anything beyond their own nose.
You seem fascinated by this strangler.
- Aren't you?
- Oh no.
All they are talking about is an unfamiliar and unusual soul for Everything unknown seems majestic. - Tacitus And the one who has been around for a long time is not needed and is not interesting, and, quite likely, if Mr. Laby appeared at the card table with a stranglehold in his hands - no one will pay attention. No one but the faithful dog Kashudas. And sometimes it seems that only for the sake of him - the only attentive spectator, a crazy hatter breaks this terrible comedy.
What an adventure, Kashudas! .
But the performance cannot last forever, sooner or later the audience leaves, and the characters (victims) are not endless. And then it becomes clear that you are not the all-powerful author of this play, but a tired, lonely psychopath, the same toy in the hands of your madness as your victims, and it is not in your power to stop this action until another, unknown to you, plan is fulfilled.
When dealing with an independent artist, which, of course, is Claude Chabrol, it is difficult to clearly define the genre of narration. Ghosts balances between psychological thriller, drama, and downright black comedy. And yet, above all, it is a social drama, continuing the age-old Chabrolean theme of “strange” stories from the life of the French middle class.
But perhaps the most compelling reason to watch the movie is Michelle Cerro as a hatter. His Leon is probably one of the best acting jobs in the world of cinema.