Kelly WandThe Crimson Rivers
October 7th 2006 01:10
High Quality French thriller starring Jean Reno. I just read that and it sounded pretty damn good to me. First impressions counted and I wasn’t disappointed either. Of course, long time readers know I love this stuff and now I just have to convince you to love it too. The thing is, I’ve already written about Jean Reno and French thrillers and nothing has really changed in that department. He is still fantastic and they still shit all over their Hollywood competition.
Is that a little unfair? Hollywood has, in recent years, bought us “Seven” and “The Silence of the Lambs” and… and… someone help me out here. There were a whole lot of “Silence” and “Seven” wannabes. You can throw names up at me but they kind of look flat beside these two films. Morgan Freeman may carry the voice of authority but even that cannot save a second rate script.
“The Crimson Rivers” is easily a match for those films. In addition to Reno, this features a brilliant performance by Vincent Cassel. You might have seen him in “Brotherhood of the Wolf.” There may even be the chance that fifteen years from now we’ll be talking about him in the same way as we talk of Reno now. He throws himself into the role like he’s forgotten how to act. He just goes for it like he’s living it.
His fight sequences are really impressive. They rate highly on the ouch-o-meter. Leading men don’t generally like to take a hit and make it look like they’ve taken one. Cassel takes a hit and not only staggers but throws a sloppy kick after being hit. Having seen his kicks, you know he’s not a naturally sloppy kicker. It certainly adds a realism to the piece that is often lacking in staged fights.
I know that reviewing the fight sequences isn’t the best way to bolster a film’s intellectual credibility. This film doesn’t need me to bolster anything. It’s a smart thriller with integrity. There are a couple of little plot holes that are quietly bugging the shit out of me but they don’t hurt the film. Besides, they may have been covered but lost in the subtitles. I can’t talk about them here without messing with the film’s ending.
About a month back, I reviewed “Empire of the Wolves”, a film that shares a star, a writer, a producer and a structure. (There is also a thematic link of neo-nazism and science used for evil). “The Crimson Rivers” is more of a police procedural than political thriller and I wouldn’t want to place one above the other in terms of quality. Watching them side by side only amplifies my respect for Reno. It is interesting watching two separate men inhabit a single face. In both films he plays a Parisian policeman. Here, however, Reno may be bruised and scarred by experience but he is a virtuous man. In “Empire” he is a selfish, corrupt sociopath.
Mathieu Kassovitz’ direction of “Rivers” is exceptional. There is an amazing opening helicopter tracking shot where Reno drives to a mountain crime scene. His car travels up the road until he comes across the police parked at the roadside. The helicopter then travels into a ravine where we see police amongst the trees, combing the crime season. It is a shot that speaks of scale in a genre that usually builds tension through confinement.
From there on, not a scene goes by without something special concerning camera angle, location, set design or framing. My son had his mates over when I slung the disc on. Despite the terror and groans that met my decision to go French language and English subtitles, by movie’s end there were thumbs up reviews all around. If this film could get past that audience unscathed, I’m fairly certain you wont have any problems with it.
Go on. Take a walk on the wild side. It’s worth it.
Is that a little unfair? Hollywood has, in recent years, bought us “Seven” and “The Silence of the Lambs” and… and… someone help me out here. There were a whole lot of “Silence” and “Seven” wannabes. You can throw names up at me but they kind of look flat beside these two films. Morgan Freeman may carry the voice of authority but even that cannot save a second rate script.
“The Crimson Rivers” is easily a match for those films. In addition to Reno, this features a brilliant performance by Vincent Cassel. You might have seen him in “Brotherhood of the Wolf.” There may even be the chance that fifteen years from now we’ll be talking about him in the same way as we talk of Reno now. He throws himself into the role like he’s forgotten how to act. He just goes for it like he’s living it.
His fight sequences are really impressive. They rate highly on the ouch-o-meter. Leading men don’t generally like to take a hit and make it look like they’ve taken one. Cassel takes a hit and not only staggers but throws a sloppy kick after being hit. Having seen his kicks, you know he’s not a naturally sloppy kicker. It certainly adds a realism to the piece that is often lacking in staged fights.
I know that reviewing the fight sequences isn’t the best way to bolster a film’s intellectual credibility. This film doesn’t need me to bolster anything. It’s a smart thriller with integrity. There are a couple of little plot holes that are quietly bugging the shit out of me but they don’t hurt the film. Besides, they may have been covered but lost in the subtitles. I can’t talk about them here without messing with the film’s ending.
About a month back, I reviewed “Empire of the Wolves”, a film that shares a star, a writer, a producer and a structure. (There is also a thematic link of neo-nazism and science used for evil). “The Crimson Rivers” is more of a police procedural than political thriller and I wouldn’t want to place one above the other in terms of quality. Watching them side by side only amplifies my respect for Reno. It is interesting watching two separate men inhabit a single face. In both films he plays a Parisian policeman. Here, however, Reno may be bruised and scarred by experience but he is a virtuous man. In “Empire” he is a selfish, corrupt sociopath.
Mathieu Kassovitz’ direction of “Rivers” is exceptional. There is an amazing opening helicopter tracking shot where Reno drives to a mountain crime scene. His car travels up the road until he comes across the police parked at the roadside. The helicopter then travels into a ravine where we see police amongst the trees, combing the crime season. It is a shot that speaks of scale in a genre that usually builds tension through confinement.
From there on, not a scene goes by without something special concerning camera angle, location, set design or framing. My son had his mates over when I slung the disc on. Despite the terror and groans that met my decision to go French language and English subtitles, by movie’s end there were thumbs up reviews all around. If this film could get past that audience unscathed, I’m fairly certain you wont have any problems with it.
Go on. Take a walk on the wild side. It’s worth it.
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Comment by Cathy
Fakes Frauds Fools
www.fakesfraudsfools.com
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
As you know Im afan of Crimson Rivers myself. Great Director and Jean Reno and Vinsent Cassell are fluid tyo watch together.
Comment by Bob Short
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Comment by Bob Short
I don't need much help to spend money but I'm always open to advice! Unfortunately, I almost always take it!