Heartbeat Detector

As consequence of a transcendental top management decision, a Parisian petrochemical company forges on into the 21st century, the human resources psychologist leads a probe that proves the ghosts of the previous century still hold sway over current events in director Nicolas Klotz's labyrinthine drama. Simon (Mathieu Amalric) is a human resources worker who has spent the last seven years working at the Paris branch of a powerful German-based company called SC Farb. In addition, to assessing the hiring and firing practices of the company, Simon was also charged with the task of conducting motivational workshops. When Assistant Director Karl Rose (Jean-Pierre Kalfon) implores Simon to conduct a clandestine assessment of firm director Mathias Jüst's (Michael Lonsdale) mental health after rumors of erratic behavior begin to circulate in the German head office, the shrewd human resources worker forms a factory orchestra as a means of stealthily gauging the stability of his violin-playing subject.

So, as the goal is undertaking, the complex limits between reality and insanity become more and more blurried, the dark web of intrigue continues increasing taking advantage even the very investigator.

Later, a comprehensive investigation of company archives and anonymous letters begin to snake ominously back in time to the darkest days of World War II.

A film that will fascinate to many, but at the same time can make others leave the hall, due the enormous concentration it demands.

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A film about the goings-on within a corporation from the perspective of the corporate psychologist, Kessler (Amalric). The corporate psychologist is responsible for helping to decide whom to hire, fire or reassign. It is revealed that Kessler's private life is in disarray; his relationship with the woman he loves is strained and he is having an affair with an aggressive woman at the office. Production is down and the CEOs are looking for ways to change that. Kessler wants to use music and bonding experiences to help increase production. He is also given the task of evaluating an executive, Juest (Lonsdale) who's behavior has become erratic. While investigating the profoundly sad Juest, Kessler finds there are terrible secrets involving certain corporate employees that go back to World War II. At one point Kessler reads a report written during World War II and it is a long description of the outfitting of trucks to kill their passengers with tailpipe exhaust. The report is written in a style that is absolutely chilling; it is the most effective scene in the film. After reading the report, Kessler sits on his bed and sobs. Later Kessler sets out to find the man who mailed anonymous letters to the corporate offices; it is a former employee, Neumann. Neumann was fired from the corporation and he's bitter about it. He compares Kessler's job of getting rid of non-productive employees with the Nazi extermination of undesirables. He compares the cold language used in the truck report to the cold language used by corporations regarding their employees.
Although the film was interesting to watch, it meandered a bit too much and I felt the scenes were not connected to each other very well. I think the film needed some additional editing, although perhaps some things are simply lost in translation. The performances of the actors were very good.

This film paints a metaphor by constructing a story about music (as the human soul) in a big corporation (our society). And also proves one assertion that the recalling memories of the old sins never leave human being even if he is only a witness. So there is a Parisian psychologist (Mathieu Amalric) who is to follow one human fate only to discover the pain added on another pain and so on... He is on the way to resolve his own illusions or maybe only to make the first step to do so. We don't know a lot because some things in life happen in a darkness...