Upset
at the attention her husband (André Dussollier) is receiving over his just
published memoirs, and bored with the comfort and predictability of retirement,
Prudence Beresford (Catherine Frot) sets up a detective agency. Her first case,
the disappearance of a rich Belgian’s beautiful Russian fiancée, leads her to a
swanky health clinic and spa, where she hears fanciful tales of murder and
eternal youth. Before long, she and her husband find themselves up to their
necks in a quite fantastic conspiracy. Adapted from Agatha Christie’s 1929
short story The Case of the Missing Lady,
this frothy French film plays it neither straight enough nor camp enough to
support its ridiculous plot. However, solid craftsmanship and charismatic
performances do just about keep it watchable.
