Gorgeous and riveting murder mystery...
This is a great movie for young directors to
study! It is evident that Mathieu Kassovitz will
be behind the camera many times in his career.
A master detective (Jean Reno) and a young
renegade cop (Vincent Cassel) frantically search
for clues in parallel investigations. Set in the
spectacular French Alps at a remote and elite
university, the film takes us into the minds of
these two men trying to solve a string of grisly
murders. We feel their desperation as each turn
brings more confusion and each character brings
more suspicion.
The director does a fantastic job of conveying
the eerie setting with dramatic sweeping shots
of some of the most baron and beautiful land on
earth. The rich colors and stunning
cinematography is overpowering and will leave
you numb. I haven't seen a film quite this
beautiful in a long time... and considering the
subject matter, that is quite a feat. The acting
is supremely accurate. Both cops are pitch
perfect as they simultaneously cooperate and
argue their way through this psychological
thriller.
The ending is wrapped up into a tight little
package and it happens too fast. The film
deserves a more thoughtful resolution or none at
all. I would not have minded an unsolved case
here. The film can also get a tad confusing in
parts and you may find yourself having to
re-watch parts on DVD. This will be most
prevalent if you watch the dubbed version which
is, quite frankly, poorly done. The French
language version with subtitles will be much
easier for most of you to follow. Many viewers
are afraid of subtitles... GET OVER IT!!! Also,
the score occasionally goes overboard... it
should have been toned down in less dramatic
scenes when it simply seems superfluous.
The most visually spectacular film in a long
while. You will remember everything you see but
not everything you hear. A cinematic masterpiece
slightly let down by a slightly clichéd ending.
Definitely worth a spin for film lovers and
those who appreciate great direction.
YOU'LL LOVE IT IF YOU LIKED -- "Hannibal",
"Silence of the Lambs", "Cliffhanger", "The
Vanishing" (Dutch Version), & "The
Professional".
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
Commenting on
this film makes me think aloud "What the hell
was Reno thinking by signing on to "Pink
Panther" anyway?"
Jacob
Hall's Comment
N/A
