In this gritty crime drama, the time is 1975, and the place is Marseilles, the epicenter of the drug trafficking business run by the notorious overlord Gaëtan 'Tany' Zampa. The film tells the story of the famous French Connection.
There was a conscious attempt on the part of the French filmmakers to pay homage to and even recreate the grainy style of the famous Gene Hackman film "The French Connection." The scenes shot in America especially recall the brilliant style of director William Friedkin.
Jean Dujardin plays the role of the French magistrate Pierre Michel. While he does not have the colorful character traits of Hackman's iconic Popeye Doyle, Dujardin creates a judge of stature and dignity, as well as humanity. Some of the most moving scenes in the film were those of Michel's association with a young drug addict and his touching relationship with his wife and daughters.
While the film lacks the fast-paced and suspenseful style of "The French Connection," the French version nonetheless conveys the struggle of bringing the members drug cartel to justice. The filmmakers were not entirely successful in bringing the humanity out of Zampa by portraying him as a caring family man.
The devastating effects of the widespread drug trafficking tended to get lost after the young addict Lilly dropped out of the film due to an alleged overdose. It was more likely that she was dispatched by the Zampa organization. Apart from Lilly, Michel, and Zampa, the cops and the thugs tended to blend together too much in this ambitious and sprawling crime exposé.
There was a conscious attempt on the part of the French filmmakers to pay homage to and even recreate the grainy style of the famous Gene Hackman film "The French Connection." The scenes shot in America especially recall the brilliant style of director William Friedkin.
Jean Dujardin plays the role of the French magistrate Pierre Michel. While he does not have the colorful character traits of Hackman's iconic Popeye Doyle, Dujardin creates a judge of stature and dignity, as well as humanity. Some of the most moving scenes in the film were those of Michel's association with a young drug addict and his touching relationship with his wife and daughters.
While the film lacks the fast-paced and suspenseful style of "The French Connection," the French version nonetheless conveys the struggle of bringing the members drug cartel to justice. The filmmakers were not entirely successful in bringing the humanity out of Zampa by portraying him as a caring family man.
The devastating effects of the widespread drug trafficking tended to get lost after the young addict Lilly dropped out of the film due to an alleged overdose. It was more likely that she was dispatched by the Zampa organization. Apart from Lilly, Michel, and Zampa, the cops and the thugs tended to blend together too much in this ambitious and sprawling crime exposé.