Anthony Zimmer (2005) - film review

Anthony Zimmer is one of the world’s most wanted criminals – a notorious fraudster who has a knack of disappearing without a trace.  His nemesis is Akerman, a ruthless cop who is prepared to use whatever it takes to bring him to justice.  On a train heading for the Côte d’Azur, an attractive young woman named Chiara makes the acquaintance of François, a translator who is taking a break after separating from his girlfriend.  Chiara invites François to spend his holiday with her and, naturally, he accepts.  As a gift, she gives him a watch engraved with the name ’Anthony Zimmer’.   François soon realises that something is wrong, and when trigger-happy gunmen break into his hotel suite he suspects Chiara is not what she seems.  Appearances can be very deceptive...

This stylish début feature from director Jérôme Salle is a spirited attempt to breathe new life into the mystery thriller, a genre which has enjoyed a recent revival both in France and America.  The film looks good – it’s well shot, well-paced and strikes a fair balance between full-on action and character-based romantic drama.  Its main flaw is that it feels sometimes like a crude pastiche of earlier examples of the genre.  The Hitchcockian references and thriller clichés are laid on so heavily that you’re easily wrong-footed into thinking this is a parody, not a serious attempt at a straight thriller-drama.  Fortunately, whilst the plot is pretty ludicrous (you have to laugh at the final plot twist), its production values are rather good.  The high quality of the design and camera work is matched, if not excelled, by the charismatic performances from the lead actors, Yvan Attal and Sophie Marceau.

© James Travers 2007

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