I tuned into this film for Catherine Deneuve but, sadly, the plot was so predictable that there wasn't any pleasure in it for me (aside from watching Ms. Deneuve).
The story begins with Julia (Diane Kruger) who, having suffered an accident and trapped with a life-long (it seems) disability because of it, is involved with a small-time thug, Rodolphe, (Nicolas Duvauchelle). As expected, he treats her roughly - *spoilers* even though she seems to like it.
When Rodolphe's treatment of Julia becomes more rough and he seems to threaten her very life, she finally lashes out in a murderous fashion. The rest of the film is about hiding the truth of the real murderer from the police and the gang members he worked with. Ben Torres (Nekfeu), one of the gang members who was also friends with Rodolphe, discovers the truth behind Rodolphe's death and decides to blackmail Julia and her mother, Louise (Deneuve) for 35K Euros. In the process of getting the money in installments to Ben, Louise and him form a sort of friendship, and she becomes somewhat of a mother-figure for him - a young man from the wrong sides of the track who got a rough start in life and went down the wrong path (predictable).
The ending is not unexpected, at all.
I watched the whole film in 2 separate sittings, as it was too predictable to see it all the way through on first try. This story isn't anything that hasn't been seen/written before, so it left one wanting...something much less obvious.
3/5, only because Mlle. Deneuve stars in it. Otherwise, 2/5.
The story begins with Julia (Diane Kruger) who, having suffered an accident and trapped with a life-long (it seems) disability because of it, is involved with a small-time thug, Rodolphe, (Nicolas Duvauchelle). As expected, he treats her roughly - *spoilers* even though she seems to like it.
When Rodolphe's treatment of Julia becomes more rough and he seems to threaten her very life, she finally lashes out in a murderous fashion. The rest of the film is about hiding the truth of the real murderer from the police and the gang members he worked with. Ben Torres (Nekfeu), one of the gang members who was also friends with Rodolphe, discovers the truth behind Rodolphe's death and decides to blackmail Julia and her mother, Louise (Deneuve) for 35K Euros. In the process of getting the money in installments to Ben, Louise and him form a sort of friendship, and she becomes somewhat of a mother-figure for him - a young man from the wrong sides of the track who got a rough start in life and went down the wrong path (predictable).
The ending is not unexpected, at all.
I watched the whole film in 2 separate sittings, as it was too predictable to see it all the way through on first try. This story isn't anything that hasn't been seen/written before, so it left one wanting...something much less obvious.
3/5, only because Mlle. Deneuve stars in it. Otherwise, 2/5.
