Long synopsis : On January 9, 1993, Jean-Claude Romand murdered his wife, his children and his parents before attempting, unsuccessfully, to kill himself. Investigations revealed that the respectable, well-liked, outwardly unremarkable Romand had never been a doctor, as he had claimed for the past 18 years. Nor had he been anything else. Beginning with a faked exam result as a student, Romand had lied unfailingly, about everything. His entire life was a breathtaking construct of fantasy and deceit, an insane façade which finally collapsed in an explosion of violence and despair when discovery became inevitable and its creator could no longer maintain it.

Cast

• Daniel Auteuil, Géraldine Pailhas, François Cluzet, Emmanuelle Devos, Alice Fauvet, Martin Jobert

Crew

• Producer(s): Alain Sarde
• Director(s): Nicole Garcia
• Screenplay: Frédéric Bélier-Garcia, Emmanuel Carrère, Jacques Fieschi, Nicole Garcia
• DP: Jean-Marc Fabre
• Editing: Emmanuelle Castro
• Original Music: Angelo Badalamenti
• Set Design: Véronique Barnéoud, Thierry Flamand

• Original Title: L'ADVERSAIRE
• Genre(s): Biography, Drama


• Production company: FILMS D'ALAIN SARDE (LES), VEGA FILM AG, VERTIGO PRODUCTIONS, FRANCE 3 CINEMA
• Production date: 2002
• Language: French
• Duration: 129 min

• Festival de Cannes 2002 - Compétition
  
• Festival International du Film Francophone Tübingen 2002
  
• Boston French Film Festival 2003
  
• Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2002
  
• Cairo International Film Festival 2002
  
• Edinburgh International Film Festival 2002
  
• Jakarta International Film Festival 2003
  
• Yokohama Film Festival 2002