FALLING BODIES (CORPS PLONGÉS)

1997, 96 mins. 35 mm print source: JBA Films (Paris, France).
Written and directed by Raoul Peck. Produced by Jacques Bidou. Photographed by Pascal Marti. Edited by Jacques Comets. Original Music by Mino Cinélu. Principal cast: Geno Lechner (Chase Dellal), Jean-Michel Martial (Dimitri), Bob Meyer (Ralph), Israel Horovitz (Thimothy), Dominic Gould (Bernard), Jeanne Manson (Béatrice), Joe Sheridan (Le portier), Susan Moncur (Denise Mellroy), Jerry Di Giacomo (Raymond Mellroy).


From a review by Leonard Klady for Variety, September 28, 1998:

An unusual tale of romance and intrigue, Falling Bodies is a love story of exiles in Manhattan that touches on personal and institutional politics. An unquestionably ambitious venture, the film is for a specialized crowd and could score niche success in several key territories. But pic's absence of marquee players and its focus on issues that hold interest for a limited audience will make its wider commercial prospects an uphill battle.

The film is slow in revealing its true nature, dangling several false clues before settling into the drama. The central character is Chase Dellal (Geno Lechner), a Manhattan medical examiner. She's at a point where both her job and personal life are forcing her to question her options.

Several of the city's key political-influence blocs want her to soften testimony, and her relationship with a married judge (Bob Meyer) who's seeking state office is turning sour.

At that point Dimitri (Jean-Michel Martial), a deposed Haitian politician and former classmate, comes back into her life. His wife was murdered and he was ousted from his country, Dimitri's travails and resolute nature allow Chase to get a better perspective on her life.

A women's picture for the 1990s, Falling Bodies is a real showcase for German thesp Lechner. The script slowly strips away her icy exterior to reveal the raw emotions just below the surface. Martial is also first-rate, projecting a forceful and sexy presence. Meyer, however, is unconvincing as the third point in the triangle. The film has a nice turn from playwright Israel Horovitz as a morgue cop attuned to the woman's conflicts.

Evocatively filmed in a gritty, realistic style by filmmaker (and former Haitian culture minister) Raoul Peck, Falling Bodies is an engrossing, albeit sometimes erratically told, yarn for audiences unfazed by challenging fare.