Towards Zero
Towards Zero
| 31 October 2007 (USA)
Towards Zero Trailers

Inviting the ex-wife to a family reunion when the none-too-secure new wife will be there hardly seems to be a recipe for success, and true to form, bodies have begun to stack up by the end of this cinematic update of a classic Agatha Christie tale. Luckily for the extended clan gathered at a sumptuous waterfront estate in Northern France, Inspector Martin Bataille is on hand to find out not only "who done it" but why.

Reviews
Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
Rijndri Load of rubbish!!
Protraph Lack of good storyline.
Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.
jotix100 A French adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Toward Zero" gets an excellent treatment at the hands of Pascal Thomas, a French director that appears to have been inspired by the original text. He has transferred the action to a gorgeous spot of Brittany. Since this is a rethinking of the Agatha Christie's novel, it was given a French flavor to go with the surroundings.At the center of the story is Camilla Tressilian, a wheelchair bound aristocratic lady with a great fortune. For the summer vacation she has invited her nephew Guillaume Neuville and his new wife, Caroline. She also has asked Aude, at the suggestion of Guillaume, a strange request, indeed. Marie-Adeline, who is Mrs. Tressilian's assistant, oversees all the arrangements. There is also a guest that comes from Vietnam, Thomas Rondeau, who has been away from France.The first formal dinner includes a former judge, Charles Trevoz, a man that knows a lot of secrets. At the table, Camilla asks the man about his most interesting case. Mr. Trevoz recalls a strange case that involved the supposedly accidental murder of a boy at the hands of another peer that was playing with a bow and arrow. One thing though, Mr. Trevoz does not reveal who the person was involved in the crime.That night, Mr. Trevoz is brought to the hotel by another guest. The only trouble is the elevator is out of order, meaning the older man has to climb four stories to his room. The following morning he is found dead. The news is too much for Camilla and her guests. Everyone is shocked when Mrs. Tressilian is found dead in her bed. She has been murdered by a hard blow to her head.The investigation that follows brings a vacationing inspector, Martin Bataille, to the scene. The situation is so mysterious that anyone of the people in the household, including the guests, could be the killers. Batailles follows unconventional methods to find out who did it. After some false movements the assassin, and his motives come to the open.Our main interest for watching the film was the presence of Danielle Darrieux playing Camilla. Ms. Darrieux, one of the most interesting personalities of the French cinema is a treasure to watch. She shows a regal presence that is a delight to watch, even though her part is not exactly the lead. Melvil Poupaud and a shrill Laura Smet, are Guillaume and Caroline. The enigmatic Aude is played by Chiara Mastroianni. Francois Morel is delightful as Bataille.Renan Polles, the cinematographer has worked with the director before. He gets in vivid details the beautiful Brittany scenery.
gradyharp TOWARDS ZERO (L'heure zéro) Is the updated French version of Agatha Christie's 1944 novel by François Caviglioli, Clémence De Bieville, Roland Duval and Nathalie Lafaurie as directed with style and panache by Pascal Thomas. Instead of England the action is transferred to the breathtaking beauty of Brittany, France. Not only does the magic of Christie's mystery remain intact, but it is enhanced by the significant rugged coastlines of the area (captured beautifully by cinematographer Renan Pollès) as the setting for the mansion overlooking the sea where the action takes place. Guillaume Neuville (Melvil Poupard), the favored relative and heir to Aunt Camilla (Danielle Darrieux) who in her declining years lives in the Brittany estate under the care of Marie- Adeline ( Alessandra Martines) and her servants Heurtebise (Paul Menthe) and Emma (Valériane de Villeneuve) - the latter two making one of the finest comedy teams on film, comes to visit his aunt with his current wife Caroline (Laura Smet) while also inviting his mysterious former wife Aude (Chiara Mastroianni). Aunt Camilla favors the Aude, a fact that throws the tempestuous and obnoxious Caroline into tantrums. There is considerable background history of this family and friends that gradually all comes together in the end. But the incident that triggers the story is the murder of Aunt Camilla, an act that leaves nearly everyone in the full house as a suspect. Enter Le commissaire Martin Bataille (François Morel), who goes about his investigation singing a tune created from the names of Agatha Christie's famous detectives - Hercule Poirot, Miss Marples, and, oddly, Colombo. The murder weapons are recreated, the events of the night of the murder are studied, and gradually the true murderer is uncovered in typical Christie style. There are many clues, versions, suppositions, old family secrets, current interrelationships and pointed facts that leave the audience wondering not only who the murderer is but also the motive of the crime. It is a pleasure to watch the finest French actors (in addition to the ones mentioned the cast includes Clément Thomas, Xavier Thiam, Hervé Pierre and others) have a great time with this story and the sets, costumes, Brittany scenery, and the musical score by Reinhardt Wagner make this a delectable bonbon of a film. Grady Harp
gridoon2018 I approached this movie with some skepticism: although France is to be commended for being pretty much the only country in the world right now that still produces films based on the works of Agatha Christie and releases them theatrically (the British Poirot and Miss Marple series are still running, of course, but they're made for TV), "Towards Zero" is directed by Pascal Thomas, whose previous Christie adaptation, the 2005 "By The Pricking Of My Thumbs", was about as dull as a film can possibly be. Thankfully, "Towards Zero" is much better. The main reason for this is simple: instead of being a talkathon with secondary mystery elements like "Thumbs", this is a good old-fashioned whodunit with nearly all of the typical elements of the genre in place: a luxurious mansion, a large but limited number of suspects, a cunning police inspector, family secrets, intense emotions and rivalries, red herrings, etc. The solution is unpredictable, even though it is based on the kind of double-deception that Christie has used quite a few other times in her stories. The cast is good, with the best performance award going to Laura Smet for her infuriatingly impulsive and impulsively sexy character. The locations and the settings are beautiful. A nostalgically enjoyable movie. *** out of 4.
Michal Zahálka Towards Zero is not one of Agatha Christie's more famous novels, but for a murder mystery lover it is almost an essential read. It has been several years since I read it, but I very distinctly remember how much I enjoyed it as well as the plot and the substantial twist.This French movie adaptation is set in present day Bretagne, but other than that remains - rather surprisingly - true to the book, more so than, for example, the Diana Rigg version of Evil Under The Sun. All important plot points remain intact. Not that this in itself signifies a great movie. Au contraire, vraiment - while the cinematography, setting, music and pacing are more or less good, many of the actors overact their characters to the point of becoming caricatures instead. The shrewish wife or the maid (vaguely reminiscent of Nancy Walker's Yetta in Murder By Death, nevertheless wholly unsuitable for a serious murder mystery) are best examples of this. Danielle Darrieux is, quite unsurprisingly, not among those, and her much too brief appearance as Aunt Camilla is the only real performance in the picture. François Morel as the detective comes close to one, but not quite close enough.Final verdict: Entertaining murder mystery with some hammy performances, fast pacing and a great twist by Dame Agatha herself. Also useful as a French listening comprehension practice, especially if you're as lucky as I am and your copy lacks subtitles.