This “Special Edition” Blu-ray from Severin Films is available on October 29th.
Review by James Jay Edwards
Paul Vecchiali was one of the more important French filmmakers in the “erotic cinema” genre. He made, to paraphrase Kurt Longjohn from Boogie Nights, not smut, but “real films.” Because of the taboo subject matter, some of his movies have been hard to find for collectors and cinephiles, and one of the biggest blind spots for many has been his 1975 thriller Change pas de main, or Don’t Change Hands. That is, until the folks at Severin got a hold of the rights and did what they do.
Don’t Change Hands is about a politician named Francoise Bourgeois (Héléne Surgére) who is being blackmailed by someone who learned that her son (Jean-Christophe Bouvet) appeared in a pornographic movie. So, she hires a hard-boiled female detective named Mélinda (Myrian Méziéres) to help her unravel the mystery of who has uncovered her past and is trying to extort her.
The movie itself is a crime noir thriller, with Vecchiali and co-writer Noël Simsolo tossing in just enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. The filmmaking wears its influences on its sleeve while still appearing to have influenced future movies. Think of it as a missing link between Hitchcock and DePalma – if either (or both) had relied solely on sex to sell their pictures.
Vecchiali’s movies are notoriously low-budget, and Don’t Change Hands is, of course, no exception. This North American Blu-ray premiere includes a 2k transfer in 1.66:1 aspect ratio from the original camera negative, so it really looks better than it ever has, and probably better than anyone involved ever intended it to. The colors pop and the images are sharp. The audio track is mono, but it sounds cleaned up, with nice, balanced dialogue, crisp sound effects, and a dynamic score.
Besides the standard re-release trailer, the special features included with this package consist mainly of interviews.
First up is Le Cinéphile, which is billed as “an appreciation by Knife + Heart director Yann Gonzalez.” This is mainly Gonzalez discussing Paul Vecchiali in general and Don’t Change Hands specifically, and how Vecchiali and his films affected him and influenced his own work.
Next is Elsewhere Man, which features author Matthieu Orléan speaking on the life and impact of Paul Vecchiali. Orléan touches on many of Vecchiali’s films, but focuses mainly on Don’t Change Hands and its influence on both Vecchiali’s future films and the films of his so-called “disciples” (of which he includes Yann Gonzalez above).
Then there’s Noir D’Amour, which is an interview with screenwriter Noël Simsolo in which he reflects on the creation of Don’t Change Hands, from its initial conception and writing to the casting and shooting of the movie. He even goes a bit into the details of its eventual release.
The next interview is A Remedy for Chaos, a Conversation with actress Myriam Méziéres, who reflects upon her experiences while making the movie.
And, just when the interviews are starting to get tedious, there’s The Prodigal Son, a crazy conversation with actor Jean-Christophe Bouvet, who also reflects upon his experiences making the movie, but his fascinating discussion revolves around the sexuality of his character and how his own sexuality played into his performance.
This release of Don’t Change Hands is more than just a placeholder, it’s a worthy addition to any Vecchiali collector’s catalogue. It earns its spot on the shelf of anyone who, for whatever reason, would like to own it. High cinema? No. But better than some of the junk out there? A hearty yes. And this presentation is about as good as one is bound to find.