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A Pure Formality

Play trailer Poster for A Pure Formality PG-13 1994 1h 48m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Onoff (Gérard Depardieu) is a once-famous French writer who has remained out of the public eye in recent years, but when the police spot him running in the rain in the general vicinity of a murder site, they take him into custody for questioning. Confronted by the inspector (Roman Polanski), Onoff claims that he has no recollection of the evening's events, resulting in a back-and-forth between the two men that may or may not result in the uncovering of the truth.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Having made the splendidly entertaining Cinema Paradiso in 1988, Giuseppe Tornatore now exhibits his versatility with A Pure Formality, which is not entertaining at all. Rated: 1.5/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jun 18, 2005 Full Review Nicolas Lacroix Showbizz.net Rated: 5/5 Jan 15, 2003 Full Review Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) Rivetting. Rated: 4/5 Nov 5, 2002 Full Review Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice Convincing psychological thriller that challenges us to consider the thin line between fantasy and reality. Aug 29, 2002 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (87) audience reviews
Audience Member A murder is committed and there is one witness. There are two main characters that carry the movie: The inspector and the witness. This is not a fast paced thriller but a deeply spiritual and psychologically metered endeavor through the dark night of one lost soul. If you have the time and the inclination, I recommend it to you. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member great little masterpiece with nice twist Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member good dialogue, filmed well, and the story itself was decent enough..it is worth a look. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review sanal r A tense psychological drama that also benefits from the compelling performances from its lead actors and an unexpected twist towards the end. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A famous writer was interrogated by a police officer who is his fan for the investigation of a muder case. The officer tries to recall his memory through exhaustive questionings, only to find out that the writer has undergone a shocking journey. Having inspired subsequent films like The Sixth Sense and The Others, Tornatore's A Pure Formality is more of an enlightening exploration of existence and survival, rather than mystery. The difficult beginning does not erode the journey to the bottom of the heart subsequently. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member ?? ???????? ????????? ??? ??? ??????????. ????????, ?? ??????? ????? ?????? Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
A Pure Formality

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Onoff (Gérard Depardieu) is a once-famous French writer who has remained out of the public eye in recent years, but when the police spot him running in the rain in the general vicinity of a murder site, they take him into custody for questioning. Confronted by the inspector (Roman Polanski), Onoff claims that he has no recollection of the evening's events, resulting in a back-and-forth between the two men that may or may not result in the uncovering of the truth.
Director
Giuseppe Tornatore
Producer
Mario Cecchi Gori, Vittorio Cecchi Gori
Production Co
Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinema
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Canadian French
Runtime
1h 48m