Comedy of Power
Koch Lorber Films | Release Date: January 5, 2007 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
It's not often that you see the craft of cinema so perfectly executed--or a group of fancy scoundrels so ruthlessly caught and skewered. Comedy of Power, like all of Chabrol's Hitchcockian films, is dark, smart and delicious. Read full review
80
Film ThreatMatthew Sorrento
A well-designed vehicle for the director's long-time star, Isabelle Huppert, whose focused portrayal makes this film a well-honed character study. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
In many ways a meandering film, a collection of good scenes. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderRichard M. Porton
One of Claude Chabrol's most satisfyingly astringent films in years. Read full review
70
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
As ever, Mr. Chabrol’s style is delicate and precise. Comedy of Power is not his deepest or most ambitious film, and its stance of knowing resignation in the face of corruption can feel a little glib. But Ms. Huppert's ferocity compensates for the director's detachment; no French actress is as riveting to watch once the gloves come off. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Draggy for long stretches, and never funny, Comedy of Power is a showcase - as if she needed another - for Huppert's chameleon qualities. She's an actress who can make a phone-book reading interesting, and that is pretty much the challenge she meets here. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Title notwithstanding, there's nothing particularly funny about this political drama from the tireless Claude Chabrol. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
This movie can't commit to a genre, let alone a logical sequence or complete idea. But there is a wisdom in its blasé assessments and frivolous air: What's the point; where's the wine? Read full review
60
VarietyLisa Nesselson
While the picture may be too subtle and oblique in places for more general audiences, it remains enjoyable as a sardonic glimpse of unspoken codes at the intersection of politics and business. Read full review
60
Village VoiceJim Ridley
An enjoyable but curiously weightless trifle that lowers rather than raises the temperature of the affair. Comedy of Power has to be the most polite, untroubled conspiracy film since the genre first tapped a phone. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The movie is too parochial for a wide audience. The French judicial system is totally alien to Americans, for instance, plus the film is a talkathon. Read full review
50
New York PostV.A. Musetto
At age 76, Chabrol seems to be just going through the motions, but anyone who has helmed 70 films ("Les Bonnes Femmes" and "La Ceremonie," for example) is entitled to an off day. Look for him to dazzle us next time out. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Chabrol has fashioned a mystery that caves in on itself, but unfortunately, it caves in on the audience, too. Read full review
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