Film Review
The
policier genre had been out of fashion for
the best part of a decade in France before filmmakers rediscovered its appeal in the mid-1990s.
With a few promising short films under his belt, Benoît Cohen chose the
policier as the subject
of his first film, and succeeds in giving a well-known genre a
refreshing perspective.
Whilst the characters in his film are clearly inspired by
the familiar stereotypes, they are well drawn and, thanks to some creditable acting, worryingly
believable.
Chiara Mastroianni's performance in this film is one of her best too date,
conveying both feminine vulnerability and a deadly animalistic drive to come out on top
in an aggressive male-dominated world. It is largely her film, in much the same
way that Luc Besson's
Nikita
belonged to Anne Parillaud - which is not to dismiss the contributions
of her co-stars. Jackie Berroyer is excellent as the villainous cop Moskowitz, appearing
menacing yet touchingly sympathetic in most of his scenes with Mastroianni.
Antoine Chappey likewise makes an appealing “good guy”, even if his character
is less well developed and less interesting.
In common with most thrillers of
the 1980s, the thing which most mars
Caméléone
is its plot. Overly complicated and with a surfeit of background detail,
the story takes a long time to attain some form of coherence, and a few of the twists
and turns are truly baffling. Despite this, the film works well as a thriller -
the mood is relentlessly noirish throughout, threatening and suspenseful, with some great
moments of tension (and a surprising lack of gore). Cohen's love of
film
noir and the thriller genre in general is apparent from the very first sequence
(which turns out to be the last chapter in the story, so watch it closely).
Whilst it may not be a perfect example of the genre,
Caméléone
is a film that works well, both as a traditional film noir and as a dark psychological
drama, and even offers a few unexpected comic touches along the way.
Benoît Cohen's subsequent films include the likeable comedies
Nos enfants chéris (2003) and
Qui m'aime me suive (2006).
© James Travers 2005
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
One night, Léa, a former prostitute, shoots dead a man who has been stalking her.
The killing is witnessed by two newspaper delivery men, Luc and Jean, who offer Léa
protection. Léa currently lives with an ageing American artist, Francis,
not realising that her former lover, a police chief named Moskowitz, is determined to
win her back at any cost...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.