Film Review
Once again, Alexandre Arcady assembles a cast of exceptional calibre
and subjects them to a ritual that is only marginally less degrading
and humiliating than that exhibited in such reality TV abominations as
I'm A (supposed) Celebrity Get Me Out Of
Here. Not content with rolling out his usual skip-load of
racially-offensive clichés, Arcady now jumps onto the
Islamaphobia bandwagon and resorts to the kind of grotesque caricature
that would shame a third rate stand-up comic sired by Jean-Marie Le
Pen. Arcady's inability to come up with an original and
intelligent script apparently hasn't derailed his career yet
(in spite of some near misses with
Entre chiens et loups (2002)
and
Tu peux garder un secret? (2008))
but this latest mass of recycled nonsense can only erode the little credibility
he has somehow managed to hold onto.
The mise-en-scène is
slightly more inspired than the writing, but even here Arcady appears
to be mired in ridiculously dated clichés.
Even Patrick Bruel, who brought class to Arcady's
earlier thrillers
L'Union sacrée (1989) and
K (1997),
fails to shine in this derivative disaster. If
Comme les cinq doigts were directed
by a first-time filmmaker it might be possible to make some allowance
for its numerous failings. The fact that it was made by someone
with over thirty years of filmmaking experience makes it pretty well
unforgivable. Shallow characters who can only communicate via
trite platitudes, a hackneyed plot that has even less sophistication
than your average
Tom and Jerry cartoon...
Here is a film that has absolutely no redeeming features.
© Marc Gifford 2011
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Next Alexandre Arcady film:
Ce que le jour doit à la nuit (2012)
Film Synopsis
After the fateful day when her husband was murdered Suzie Hayoun was forced
to bring up her five sons by herself. The one thing she managed to
drill into them was the importance of solidarity. Three of the five
have grown up to follow respectable trades. Dan, the eldest, manages
a restaurant, Jonathan is a pharmacist and Julien a school teacher.
Michel, the youngest, fritters away his days by gambling. David parted
company with the rest many years ago, but now he is back, badly wounded and
hunted by both the police and a criminal gang led by Samy Boban. David
may be the black sheep of the family but his brothers are bound to come to
his aid and thwart his adversaries. The time has come for the Hayoun
clan to avenge the death of their father...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.