Article 353

March 1, 2019

Winner of the Grand prix RTL-Lire and the Prix François Mauriac, this taut, burnished work by Tanguy (Beyond Suspicion) tells a classic story of class exploitation and the tension between law and justice in a fresh and absorbing way. In a small, struggling town off the coast of Brittany, Martial Kermeur is accused of killing real estate developer Antoine Lazenec by shoving him overboard while they were lobster fishing. He has no intention of evading the law and explains events to a young judge charged under Article 353 with proclaiming Kermeur's guilt only if he is fully convinced. As Kermeur confides, he was persuaded to invest his full bonus layoff from the shipyards in the fancy resort the swaggering agent says he's planning to build after tearing down the château where Kermeur is caretaker. The downward spiral of Kermeur's life thereafter is grippingly told. VERDICT Quietly affecting; of current interest.

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