The Moustache

The Moustache is a French film from 2005, directed by Emmanuel Carrère and starring Vincent Lindon, and adapted from Carrère's own novel The Moustache. The film features music from Philip Glass. The film was awarded the Label Europa Cinemas prize at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and is currently distributed theatrically in the United States by the Cinema Guild with a DVD release handled by Koch-Lorber Films. The film is based on a 1986 book of the same title by Carrere. Plot Marc Thiriez, a middle aged Parisian, asks his wife if he should shave off the moustache he has sported for most of his adult life. His wife, Agnès, wryly comments that she wouldn't recognize him without it, yet as she leaves, Marc shaves the moustache off. Upon her return, Agnès is angry Marc did not let her in the door when she rang; Marc lies and says he broke his shoelace. Marc attempts to surprise her with his clean-shaven face, but gets no reaction. In the car on the way to a party, Marc asks Agnès if she notices anything, but she changes the subject. They visit their friends Serge (Agnès' ex) and Nadia. Serge tells a story about Agnès: during their relationship, she was sneaky but refused to admit her guilt even when everyone was certain she was at fault. Agnès again denies that she lied. Frustrated that Serge and Nadia also do not notice his shaven moustache, Marc fights with Agnès in the car as they return home, frightening her. As they lie in bed that night, another fight ensues as Agnès tells Marc he's never had a moustache and that she fears for his sanity. Agnès phones Nadia, who claims Marc has not had a moustache in fifteen years, but Marc insists she told their friends to ignore his mustache. Agnès takes a sleeping pill. Marc finds a photo album of pictures from their holiday in Bali, all of which show him sporting his moustache. When he confronts Agnès with these pictures, she ignores him and changes the subject, leaving him even more confused. Marc grows more paranoid and confused when even his co-workers don't acknowledge that he has shaven his moustache. Marc digs through the trash to find his moustache hairs, scaring Agnès. She suggests Marc see a psychiatrist whom her friend François knew.