Livid (film)
Encyclopedia
Livid is a 2011 French supernatural horror film
directed and written by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo. It is their follow-up to the horror film Inside
. Also returning from Inside is actress Béatrice Dalle
.
, but this was later changed and the film will now be shot in France and be a French-language film. A promo was shown at the American Film Market
. The film was described as being much more of a fantasy film than their previous film; "If Inside was meant to play as horror taken from fact then Livid plays as horror taken from fairy tale, the Grimm kind with all the bloody bits left in."
on September 11, 2011. On October 12, the film was shown at the Sitges Film Festival. Marc Thiébault won the award for Best Production Design at the festival for his work in Livid.
compared the film unfavorable to the director's previous film Inside, stating that "the pic is so eager to go over the top that, in the end, it doesn't make much sense." Screen Daily gave a positive review of the film, comparing it to the works of Guillermo del Toro
and Dario Argento
. Horror magazine Fangoria
gave the film a positive review of three out of four, stating that the film's "final moments are a bit stretched and its end is sillier than probably intended. It’s imperfect, yes, but entirely worth loving; likely and hopefully appreciated and adored over time."
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed and written by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo. It is their follow-up to the horror film Inside
Inside (2007 film)
Inside is a 2007 French horror film directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, starring Alysson Paradis and Béatrice Dalle. It was written by co-director Alexandre Bustillo, and is the first film from either director...
. Also returning from Inside is actress Béatrice Dalle
Béatrice Dalle
-Biography:Dalle was born in Brest, Finistère, France, as Béatrice Cabarrou. In 1985 she married the painter Jean-François Dalle but they divorced in 1988....
.
Plot
The exact plot is unknown. The official summary reads:- "It's young Lucy's first day as a trainee in-house caregiver. She visits Mrs Jessel, an old woman who lies in cerebral coma, by herself, in her large desolate house. Learning by accident that Mrs Jessel, a former dance teacher of repute, supposedly possesses a treasure somewhere in the house, Lucy and friends William and Ben decide to search the house in the hope of finding it. At night, they get into the house, which reveals itself to be increasingly peculiar. Their hunt for Mrs Jessel’s treasure leads them into a horrifying supernatural series of events that will change Lucy forever..."
Production
The film went into production in 2009. The film was initially intended to be Bustillo and Maury's English-language debut and shot in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but this was later changed and the film will now be shot in France and be a French-language film. A promo was shown at the American Film Market
American Film Market
The American Film Market is a film industry event held each year at the beginning of November in Santa Monica, California. About 8,000 people attend the eight day event to network and to sell and acquire films...
. The film was described as being much more of a fantasy film than their previous film; "If Inside was meant to play as horror taken from fact then Livid plays as horror taken from fairy tale, the Grimm kind with all the bloody bits left in."
Cast
- Béatrice DalleBéatrice Dalle-Biography:Dalle was born in Brest, Finistère, France, as Béatrice Cabarrou. In 1985 she married the painter Jean-François Dalle but they divorced in 1988....
— Mére Lucie - Jérémy KaponeJérémy KaponeJérémy Kapone, born 12 April 1990 at Douarnenez in France, is a French actor, singer and songwriter, known notably for his role as Maël in the film LOL.He is part of the band Kaponz & Spinoza, who wrote a song for the movie LOL.- Films :...
— Ben - Catherine JacobCatherine Jacob (actress)Catherine Jacob is a French actress. She won the César Award for Most Promising Actress for her role in Life Is a Long Quiet River , and has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Tatie Danielle , Merci la vie and Neuf mois...
— Wilson - Félix Moati — William
- Chloé Coulloud — Lucie
- Marie-Claude PietragallaMarie-Claude PietragallaMarie-Claude Pietragalla is a French dancer and choreographer born in Paris the 2 February 1963.-Biography:At 16, she joined the Ballet de l'Opera National de Paris and was named étoile December 22, 1990, after the performance of Don Quixote in which she played the role of Kitri...
— Jessel - Chloé Marcq — Anna
- Loïc Berthezene — Pére Lucie
Release
Livid was shown at the Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
on September 11, 2011. On October 12, the film was shown at the Sitges Film Festival. Marc Thiébault won the award for Best Production Design at the festival for his work in Livid.
Reception
VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
compared the film unfavorable to the director's previous film Inside, stating that "the pic is so eager to go over the top that, in the end, it doesn't make much sense." Screen Daily gave a positive review of the film, comparing it to the works of Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
and Dario Argento
Dario Argento
Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies....
. Horror magazine Fangoria
Fangoria
Fangoria is an American magazine devoted to horror and exploitation films, which has a number of associated brands:* Fangoria Comics* Fangoria Films* Fangoria RadioFangoria may also refer to:* Fangoria , a Spanish electro pop band...
gave the film a positive review of three out of four, stating that the film's "final moments are a bit stretched and its end is sillier than probably intended. It’s imperfect, yes, but entirely worth loving; likely and hopefully appreciated and adored over time."