Denis Ménochet was not afraid to bare himself in “Peter Von Kant”

• Denis Ménochet embodies a tyrannical filmmaker inspired by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, a brilliant and temperamental creator with a self-destructive temperament, in "Peter Von Kant", the new film by François Ozon.

• The director of "Grace to God" was able to encourage the actor to let go, especially in the face of Isabelle Adjani as an actress on the return.

And if Denis Ménochet was really a great actor?

He proves it in any case in

by François Ozon.

Already amazing in

,

and

, the actor reaches an additional level by playing a solitary and tyrannical filmmaker inspired by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

“It was François Ozon who galvanized me, explains the actor to

.

When he announced to me that he was going to bring the

to the screen by entrusting me with the main role, I first had trouble getting to the idea.

The German filmmaker had adapted his play for the cinema in 1971. François Ozon transposes the plot into the world of the 7th art and chooses to center it on three male characters.

Great, but obnoxious

"François Ozon made me go very far in shamelessness, pushing me to let go completely," insists Denis Ménochet, who gave him absolute confidence.

Between his mute assistant whom he martyrizes (Stefan Crépon, a revelation) and the actor he wants to do his thing (Kalil Ben Gharbia with the bewitching beauty), the man plunges into a depression which does not spare his loved ones.

"He's a great creator but a self-destructive bastard," explains Denis Ménochet.

His genius in no way excuses his odious attitude.

»

Isabelle Adjani as a comeback actress, Hannah Schygulla (who was Fassbinder's muse in real life) as an overwhelmed mother and Aminthe Audiard as a despised daughter bring talented female compositions to this rather masculine behind closed doors.

Denis Ménochet, both imperial and fragile, is hated and loved by those around him as well as by the spectator, so much does he make you feel the pain of a descent into hell that he is unable to stop.

A form of suicide

“His painful passion is a form of suicide, recognizes Denis Ménochet.

He was a tortured man and it was not easy to dive into his head.

Luckily I had François Ozon to help me swim.

We will remember a sensual scene where the hero dances in little outfit with the man he loves as a perfect example of the smashing naturalness to whom Denis Ménochet reached.

"Undoing myself in front of the team was not easy for me, but daring to go beyond my limits for this role probably did me good," he admits.

While shaking up his character, ruthlessly.

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François Ozon: ""Thank God", it's not the good guys against the bad guys"

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VIDEO.

"To the hilt": How Denis Ménochet abuses, mistreats and is very scary

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• Francois Ozon

• Isabelle Adjani