Patrice Chereau's films have all been marked by his origins and continuing interest in theater, but rarely can this have been so much the case as in his 10th feature, "Gabrielle," which is essentially a two-hander set in an enclosed space. With a competition screening at Venice, Gabrielle may achieve a degree of commercial success internationally, and preliminary agreements already have been signed for sales in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Greece and the Benelux countries. Absorbing rather than engaging, the movie makes few concessions to popular appeal, except possibly in its home market, and appears to settle too readily for the art house label.

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