Film Review: Le Couperet (a.k.a. The Axe)

Le Copureret a.k.a. The Axe (Costa-Gavras, 2005)
In French with English subtitles


A chemist who has been working for years in a paper manufacturing company loses his job due to outsourcing. Two years later, he still doesn't have a job despite exerting all his efforts to find one. This is when he resorts to a desperate move: to eliminate all his competition for the job position he's applying for.

Jose Garcia in Le Couperet

The film is a comedy; however, it's dark and satirical. It can be mistaken for a Woody Allen film and that's a good thing. It's witty and perverse. It may be amoral but who cares; the killings are a metaphor. The enigmatic ending, which is open for interpretation, adds marvel to this film.

The director of this film also directed the critically acclaimed films Z (1969), Missing (1982), and Music Box (1989).

.

Rating: 3.5/4.0