The Overeater

A Feature film of

Thierry Binisti

Produced by

F comme Film

Production year2002

French release16/07/2003

Runtime1 h 30 min

Synopsis

Séléna is chief of the Marseille police. Respected and feared by his men, his sole enemy seems to be himself, along with his 300 pounds. Strangled by the bursting straight-jacket of his body, tortured by his past, he leads a solitary life in a large isolated house.
Séléna is the only person who knows that Elsa was guilty of the murder of her uncle, a wealthy shipowner. Fascinated by the young woman’s beauty, he offers her a strange deal: in exchange for his silence, he demands that she dines with him every night for a year.
Although repulsed by the idea, Elsa nevertheless accepts and submits to the ritual. She’s initially aggressive and awkward. Séléna is touched by Elsa’s fragility, aware that, like himself, she’s suffering from some secret wound. However, he remains inflexible. He obliges her to observe him, just as, for the first time in his life, he forces himself to be scrutinized. He restricts himself to this one meal a day, a meal not shared by two.
Meanwhile an investigation into a seedy affair, more complex than could have been imagined, reveals a dark family secret. But the most important factor of Séléna’s life is unfolding elsewhere, in his dining room. Here at last the suffering caused by repressed guilt can be expressed. It’s like a liberation, and a new emotion blossoms – love. Like in a fairy tale, perhaps love will bring Beauty and the Beast together.