Kelly WandEmpire of the Wolves
September 1st 2006 02:20
If you haven’t heard of “Empire of the Wolves”, it won’t surprise me. In Australia, it seems to have had such a half hearted release that you’d think the people at Sony pictures had something to be embarrassed about. They shouldn’t feel embarrassed. They should be happy they have a film like this in their catalogue. They should find a way to promote films like this. It isn’t that hard when you have quality product.
My biggest problem talking to you about this film is that I don’t want to tell you too much about the storyline. The labyrinthine plotting is a large part of the fun on offer here. It’s like a game of pass the parcel with layers peeled away until we reach the truth within.
It begins with Anna, a Parisian housewife, seeking treatment for a condition that is causing her to forget the face of her husband. Meanwhile, Paul, a Parisian detective, is searching for a serial killer who horribly mutilates his victims. He is assigned to pick up a new partner named Schiffer from the Rest Home he’s been placed in. Schiffer, played by Jean Reno, is not a nice policeman. He comes on like Dirty Harry’s sick and twisted uncle. If someone wont talk, he likes to start to cut their fingers off until they do talk. The coroner warns Paul that Schiffer is the devil and we have no reason to doubt this information.
The plot twists and turns from there. The Grey Wolves are a pack of Turkish fascists financing their misdeeds through the supply of heroin. They’re involved as are some shady Government departments. The French do a fine line in shady Government departments.
I’ll say no more. It’s an excellent film. Stylish. Taut. Exciting. (The first half is a little slow but the ending more than makes up for it.) The one thing I will say is that the English dub is pretty ordinary which is a polite way of telling you that it stinks. Badly. Watch it in the original French with subtitles because then, at least, the actors sound like they believe what they’re saying.
Besides Jean Reno rocks. Even in the American version of Godzilla, he rocked. Nothing else in that film rocked but Jean… he rocked. Go rent this one for Jean.
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
It seemd to me it was trying to hard at being another Crimson Rivers
Jean Reno (Leon, La femme Nikitta, Crimson Rivers) is one of my favourite actors, in this he was looked like he was just going through the motions.
Certainly worth a look, this is still far better than most recent US thrillers.
Comment by Bob Short
I think we can both agree that this is a better flick than -say - the new Miami Vice movie!
B
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
The fact its based on a book by the same author does go along way towards why it feels like Crimson Rivers.
Also probably has something to do with the fact Ive seen Crimson Rivers many times and its a fave of mine.
I havent actually got around to seeing Miami Vice, but I love Michael mann's Thief, Manhunter and Heat.
Comment by Bob Short
B
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Oh well, the fact that Im a massive fan of the TV show and havent got around to seeing teh new movie speaks volumes about my trepedation.
Another Mann film I really dig is The Keep, one of the first I ever saw.
On teh jean Reno front, how big a travesty is it that Leon:The Professional is unavailable in Oz. Thankfully I got the European 2 disc directors cut with an extra 45 minutes that they cut from the Aussie cinema and video release.
Comment by Bob Short
Comment by hsikrut
gray-wolves a an anti-terrer unit and them guys at the end with them rags on there heads wont even turks more like kurds. even tho im lost... how can a kurd be a gray wolf..
Comment by Bob Short
The grey wolves in the film were the bad guy nazis who financed their evil Nazi ways through heroin smuggling.
I have no idea whether they really exist. They probably spring from the mind of the book's author. Perhaps you should ask him.
Comment by hsikrut
yes your right they were the bad guys
and they really do exist the CIA recruited them in the 80's for Counter-Guerrilla Unit "STAY BEHIND" for NATO
and so on but they arnt that bad e.g in the movie they wear ski masks.. isnt itself in real life.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~afa/alert/2_7/henze.html