MR 73

Once in a blue moon I decide to watch a crime drama from French cinema and this time I chose this movie just because Daniel Auteuil was the lead and I truly enjoy his performances; honestly I was not disappointed as his role not only is very dramatic but also he performs it outstandingly.

Written and directed by Olivier Marchal the movie tells about a cop that looses total control of his life when his daughter dies and his wife stays hardly alive after a car accident. Drowning his pain in alcohol Scheider (Daniel Auteuil) is doom to loose everything he accomplished as a good police detective. This story is told while you follow two crimes, one about an atrocious serial killer that targets women living alone and another about a 69-year-old vicious killer serving a life-in-prison condemn that is about to be released after 30 years in jail for good behavior and becoming very religious.

But to me this is a story about the troubling aspects of crime and punishment with authorities using and abusing their power; and about those that are abandoned by the system and life.

Since I do not often see the genre, I was absolutely impressed by the high production values of the visuals, definitively this movie has the outstanding cinematography typical of good French cinema with some quite awesome takes that could blow your eyes. Then definitively this film is one to watch because the outstanding Auteuil performance as well as all (and I mean All) the actors’ performances and for the great cinematography that complements this darker movie.

There are some very disturbing images in this movie and some violence, so I know that it will appeal more to men than women; then, as this is a strong drama I believe it will appeal more to mature than younger audiences.

If you enjoy strong crime dramas, outstanding performances by actors and excellent French cinema, I suggest to watch this movie that’s the final installment in a trilogy that started with Gangsters and followed by 36 Quai des Orfèvres. Perhaps next time I’m in the mood to watch a French crime drama I’ll give a try to the two previous installments; but that will take some time, as the genre is not easy to digest for me.

Still, definitively I do recommend this movie if you enjoy the genre.

Enjoy!!