36 Quai des Orfevres (Olivier Marchal 2004)
Posted on May 30 at 15.37, 2006 by Eric Mahleb
This very hollywood-like French thriller could have been directed by Michael Mann.
Marchal’s Paris looks like Mann’s Los Angeles in Heat or Collateral, the city bathing in a constant mist of grays and blues, whose beauty is appropriately complimented by a moody, and, at times, overbearing score.
Behind this series of sumptuous photographs of a corrupted Paris-by-night, not enough remains in terms of coherence, dialogues or acting (even Depardieu seems out of place in a very underdeveloped role).
And what a convenient and artificial ending…

