Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
In a bizarre Breton library that collects rejected, never published manuscripts, a young editor discovers a novel that she considers a masterpiece. It was written by a certain Henri Pick, a cook who died two years earlier and who, according to his widow, had never read a book in his life or written anything but a shopping list... Did he have a secret life? When the book becomes a huge best-seller, Jean- Michel Rouche, a skeptical and stubborn literary critic, teams up with Joséphine, Pick’s daughter, to unravel the mystery.
The Mystery of Henri Pick is a charming, lightweight French comedy-drama built around a genuinely clever literary premise — the idea of a rejected manuscript library in Brittany is whimsical and distinctive enough to elevate its novelty above average. The plot is engaging as a gentle mystery, though it meanders and never fully capitalizes on its intriguing setup, settling for a pleasantly ironic resolution rather than a truly surprising one. The acting is competent and warm, with Fabrice Luchini delivering his trademark sardonic persona as the contrarian critic, but the ensemble rarely transcends its genre conventions. Cinematography is functional and unremarkable — pleasant Breton scenery but no particular visual ambition. The ending lands the central joke of the premise adequately but feels somewhat anticlimactic given the buildup, offering closure rather than satisfaction. Overall a likable, modestly entertaining film that punches slightly above its weight on the strength of its premise.