The Last Diamond (2014) User Reviews

Thrilling and smart caper heist like good ol' days

[ArchonCinemaReviews · 7/10 · 12 December 2014]

French film Le Dernier Diamant (The Last Diamond) is a thrilling caper about a thief trying to steal a mythical diamond by daringly conning its owner.

In Le Dernier Diamant, Simon, a thief released on parole who just can't stop himself from performing larceny with his favorite partner in crime Albert, played by Jean-François Stévenin. He agrees to orchestrate the biggest heist of his life, to steal the "Florentin." A 137 carat mythical diamond finally being brought out from private ownership to auction. To succeed, he must get close to Julia, a diamond expert, for whom the sale is of considerable personal importance.

Yvan Attal plays Simon, the cunning con-artist who just can not say "No" to daring theft of substantial difficulty. Julia is played by Bérénice Bejo, a beautiful, confident and smart auction dealer. The chemistry between the two actors is playful and quite engaging for the audience. Further, all supporting characters are unique enough to differentiate the film from just your average caper flick.

Le Dernier Diamant, which translates to The Last Diamond in English, has a heist especially expertly written and directed by Eric Barbier. The brunt of the beginning of the film lays the groundwork for the eventual complicated theft and interpersonal character development. It is funny, lighthearted and all-in-all an enjoyable romp of a film.

Interestingly the robbery occurs in the middle of the movie, rather than follow the stereotypical formula for a heist movie in which the con occurs in the last third of the film. After which Le Dernier Diamant's tone switches from comedic popcorn cinema to suspenseful drama. It takes a bit of a nosedive with this serious tone but maintains a solidly entertaining flick and commendable addition to the genre.

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The French Job

[FrenchEddieFelson · 5/10 · 20 May 2019]

Despite some scripting inconsistencies and a blatant absence of alchemy between the two main protagonists (Simon and Julia), this story of a high-class heist is quite successful and manages to hold in suspense. As a synthesis, it's worth a try, with low expectations.

The Just Luke Warm Rock!

[spookyrat1 · 6/10 · 5 October 2020]

If you can get over the initial quite unbelievable premise that auction dealer Julia (Berenice Bejo) would take up some sort of private contract with (impersonating) security consultant Simon (Yvan Attal) with absolutely minimal background checks and then not mention the arrangement at all with any of the board members of her company, you'll probably quite enjoy French heist film, The Last Diamond. Me, sorry it was a contrivance too far and so early in the film. It pretty much reduced everything that followed to the lowest common denominator.

It's a caper piece whose tone abruptly changes from jaunty to rather serious two - thirds of the way through the movie. Sometimes this sort of stuff can work in the best films (Bonnie and Clyde), but mostly it doesn't really hit the mark, as in this feature. Neither does the romantic angle believably happen with the 2 leads, who are competent in their roles, but lack any sort of passionate chemistry together.

It is usually interesting seeing how these Mission Impossible style burglaries and cons play out and things are not really different here. A mitigating factor though is it's never really made clear who's running the show. Every thing seems to hinge on Simon's planning and actions, but he doesn't seem to be a major player and we're never really sure what is motivating him to get back in the game. His buddy Albert (Jean - Francois Stevenin, didn't need to work hard to overcome Simon's initial (I've retired) reluctance.

The storyline attempts to set us up for some third act twists, that really feel more like run of the mill red herrings. There's nothing much unexpected here, though some punters, may appreciate the action quota, being dialled up a notch or two. Eric Barbier directs proceedings in a workmanlike manner and the Belgian locations are very appropriate, seeing Antwerp is often cited as being the "diamond capital" of the world. However though reasonable entertainment, The Last Diamond is a crime caper that is never any where near as polished, as it's titular subject.

Just entertaining

[searchanddestroy-1 · 5 May 2014]

Nothing more than entertaining. Far away from THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, this pleasant crime flick is not boring at all, well acted and filmed. But unfortunately totally destroyed by the silly ending. For silly audiences because of whom we Watch so many craps - among crime or films noirs, I mean, not comedies.

In resume forget Jean-Pierre Melville or Olivier Marchal's atmospheres here. A total waste, if you dare comparing. This feature is not a comedy, and neither exactly a drama, as it is described above. You can Watch it whilst eating your popcorn, and forget it afterwards.

An ex con is asked to pull a daring heist, the stealing of a fabulous diamond. The caper itself is interesting, and the characters around it not uninteresting. You find here the usual elements that you may expect in this kind of films. No surprise. Good suspense, and some twists.

An acceptable time waster. Nothing more.

Diamond Geezers

[writers_reign · 7/10 · 24 January 2016]

This is a French heist movie in the tradition of Rififi and Le Cercle Rouge but with a touch of the David Mamets and more advanced technology. It was actually released in France in 2014 and given that it features a gang cutting their way into a vault via tunnels and then crawling through who's to say that the recent perpetrators of the Hatton Garden robbery here in London didn't see it in France and implement some of its ideas. Leading man Yvan Attal, a veteran of 50 films as an actor, 5 as screenwriter and 7 ad director is blessed with the kind of face that can look villainous one day - see Bon Voyage - and thoughtful the next - see his own And They Lived Happily Ever After whilst Berenice Bejo is no stranger to caper movies albeit more tongue- in-cheek - she appeared with Jean Dujardin in the OSS-17 franchise and she and Attal make a good team. On the whole it's a very entertaining entry and should please fans of the genre.

The French can really rock these heist films

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 5 July 2017]

French film Le Dernier Diamant (The Last Diamond) is another example of the French's way with a crime caper film, this one from 2014.

Simon (Yvan Attal) is released on parole but gets right back into the robbery game with Albert (Jean-Franccois Stevenin). The heist is for the famous Florentin diamond, 137 carats being sold at auction.

The plans for the theft are exceedingly complicated. Simon must somehow win the confidence of the woman handling the auction, Julia (Bérénice Bejo), who is taking the job over from her recently deceased mother. Simon tells Julia that he worked closely on security with her mother on her biggest assignments. This wins him entree to her hotel room, her safe, and ultimately her bed.

Wonderful in its complexity, Le Dernier Diamant manages to have humor as well as drama. You'll wonder what's going on when the heist takes place so far from the end of the film, but fear not, there's much more to come.

One thing I liked about this is the follow-through with Lisette, the dog. It sounds like a small detail but often in films these details are ignored, leaving animal lovers like myself left wondering.

Very entertaining.

pleasantly watchable but not a lot more

[myriamlenys · 6/10 · 1 October 2019]

This heist movie suffers from a certain tonal unevenness : it would have worked better if it had turned either into a light-hearted caper with romantic overtones or else into a bloody, gritty crime film. As it now stands, the movie seems uncertain about its own weight and purpose.

In my humble opinion, the movie is average - neither very good nor very bad. It's the kind of movie that would have benefitted enormously from two or three really charismatic stars - the contemporary equivalent, so to speak, of a Gabin, a Delon, a Belmondo. The movie also misses some opportunities. For instance, it speaks about a fabled gemstone with a storied history going all the way back to Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, but it's a case of telling rather than showing. A few well-chosen flashbacks or props (say, a Renaissance painting or a Medieval book of hours) could have added depth and charm. Or why not show us a much earlier attempt, for instance by Ancien Régime thieves, to steal this wondrous jewel ?

As a Belgian I'd like to point out that the movie boasts superb locations and exteriors. The Belgian city of Antwerp, which is beautifully filmed, gets a chance to spread its noble peacock feathers. It's an apt choice, since Antwerp is a major treatment and trading centre for diamonds. Note, for instance, the central station building, which is one of the most stunning temples to train transport to be found on the European continent.

If you, dear reader, ever get an opportunity to visit Antwerp central station : walk towards the giant visitors' hall and then look upwards, deep into the vast cupola. It was my late father - may God rest his kind soul - who, as a very young man, helped provide the top of the cupola with electricity.

Caper extraordinaire

[sergelamarche · 6/10 · 10 July 2020]

History of theft of diamond too well organized which becomes more complicated at the end. Not credible but fun, if you don't count the dead.

THE LAST LUMP OF COAL

[MadamWarden · 3/10 · 30 September 2020]

I read the mediocre reviews but thought I would give it a chance. 30 minutes in and I was bored out of my mind. A ridiculous plot, zero chemistry between the main protagonists upon which the premise rests.

Couldn't watch anymore. Sorry.

Refreshing.

[Nemesis42 · 9/10 · 29 July 2017]

I liked it as it did not get too dark, and this is a break from the common thriller fare. Energising score, perfect acting, writing and direction. Beholding the appearance and character of the female lead, absolutely beautiful, is escapism in itself. The story layers upon itself with not so predictable moves, where some parts are a little predictable. But hey, if one wants something light, a balance of predictability and innovation works well.

Thoroughly enjoyed this, and will be honing in on more French films as a result.

A worthy genre revival but it lacks romantic vitality

[shakercoola · 5/10 · 26 May 2019]

A French heist and romance drama; A story about a former convict on parole who is tempted into committing one last job by his former partner-in-crime, but the con artist becomes enamored of the woman he is trying to con. This a confidently executed, humorous drama, meticulously staged, with good cinematography and a brassy, jazzy musical score. However, it is an old-school heist story, inessential, with a plot that gets progressively contrived. While the two leads give good performances, which transcend the superficial script, there's not much chemistry between the two leads about their romantic liaison.

... never realized he's as short as he is... or she as tall

[bjarias · 5/10 · 1 September 2022]

... two of the best looking most admired actors in European films today... here their talents are lost, as this production after one half hour can be seen to have serious flaws in the plot-storyline... after the next half-hour they only get more ludicrous

... several reviewers and critics have commented that the chemistry between the two leads is lacking... true or not, it matters little to this movie, as it is not a love story in any sense anyway

... quit watching two-thirds of the way through, and even should the remainder of the story improved 100%, it still would not have been worth the time spent watching.

Le dernier navet

[alexandrefbergeron-28690 · 4/10 · 10 April 2022]

What a mess of a movie. I did not believe that she would fall for him, that he is a master planner, a makeup expert, a car thief, etc. Ridiculous. Felt like I was watching an old Mission Impossible tv episode, full of more ridiculous things every minute. Good for a young crowd that haven't seen a heist movie before, maybe. Attal is so bad, boring, blah.

Wasted time.