A Pure Formality | Rotten Tomatoes

A Pure Formality

PG-13

1994

1h 48m

Mystery & Thriller

List

80%

5 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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.

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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

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Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

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Giuseppe Tornatore

Director

Gérard Depardieu

Onoff

Roman Polanski

Inspector

Sergio Rubini

Andre

Nicola Di Pinto

Captain

Paolo Lombardi

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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

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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
Production Co: Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinema
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: French (Canada)
Runtime: 1h 48m