The Elegant Criminal (1990)

The Elegant Criminal (1990)

1990-12-19 France 125 Min. PG-13
5.2 8 votes

Overview

On 9 January 1836, Pierre Lacenaire goes to the guillotine, a murderer and a thief. He gives Allard, a police inspector, his life story, written while awaiting execution. He also asks Allard to care for Hermine, a lass to whom he has been guardian for more than ten years. In flashbacks, from the prison as Lacenaire writes, from Allard's study as he and Hermine read, and from other readers' memory after the book is published, we see Lacenaire's childhood as he stands up to bullies, including priests, his youthful thieving, his first murder, his brief army career, his seduction of a princess, and his affair with Avril, a young man who dies beside him.

Cast

Daniel Auteuil is Pierre-François Lacenaire
Pierre-François Lacenaire
Jean Poiret is Allard
Jacques Weber is Jacques Arago
Jacques Arago
François Périer is Lacenaire's father
Lacenaire's father
Geneviève Casile is Lacenaire's mother
Lacenaire's mother
Jean Davy is Alphonse Damoiseau
Alphonse Damoiseau
Jacques Duby is Marmignat
Marmignat
Paul Le Person is Vigouroux
Maïwenn is Hermine
Hermine
Jacques Sereys is Pertuizet
Rufus is Canler
Canler
Gérard Desarthe is Professor Tonnelier
Professor Tonnelier