L’Union sacrée (1989) - film review

Simon Atlan, a Jewish anti-narcotics cop, is teamed up with Karim Hamida, secret agent for an Arab government.  Tensions between the two men run high as they investigate an international drugs ring operating in state schools.  They agree to bury their differences when they learn that a diplomat Ali Radjani is behind a terrorist network based in an Islamic Cultural Centre.  Karim manages to infiltrate the centre by posing as a fundamentalist, and is shocked by what he discovers.  His cover blown, he narrowly escapes death by Simon’s timely intervention.  Radjani swears revenge and, a short while later, Simon’s wife is killed in a terrorist attack.  Simon will let nothing prevent him from avenging the death of his wife.  Karim’s orders are to stop him at any cost…

Richard Berry joins forces with Patrick Bruel in this pacy action thriller from Alexandre Arcady.  It’s a pairing that works surprisingly well, Berry’s darker, more restrained approach making an effective contrast with Bruel’s more dynamic, expressive style of acting.  Like many of Arcady’s thrillers, it is somewhat marred by an excess of violence, dire sentimentality and some criminal misuse of slow-motion photography.  However, the film’s main plot, about fundamentalist terrorism, is relevant and handled surprisingly well, if one overlooks the botched ending.  The action scenes are also generally well choreographed, although the director’s infantile bloodthirstiness is to be regretted.

© James Travers 2006

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