Two Claude Chabrol movies arrive on DVD today: one old, one new. Isabelle Huppert stars in both, and watching this compelling French actress' range is quite a treat. Comedy of Power features Huppert as a tenacious judge; in Violette she plays an impetuous youth on the other side of the law. Also new on DVD: John Curran's sumptuous adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's The Painted Veil with Ed Norton and Naomi Watts.
1. Comedy of Power
Another acerbic tale from Claude Chabrol, this 2006 release features Isabelle Huppert, without much makeup but equipped with an iron will, as a tenacious judge investigating large-scale corporate fraud and government corruption. The complex script is executed with masterful confidence, but the English title is a cynical joke: according to Chabrol, there is nothing funny about power.
2. Violette
Claude Chabrol and Isabelle Huppert have worked together before. Koch Lorber is also releasing this disquieting 1978 thriller about an young woman who leads a disreputable secret life. Violette is based on a true story that shocked France.3. The Painted Veil
This sumptuous costume drama was released at the end of 2006, and completely overlooked in a crowded field of movies competing for awards. Naomi Watts and Edward Norton star in John Curran's adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's novel.