Joseph et la fille (2010) Directed by Xavier De Choudens
Crime / Drama / Romance
Film Review
Xavier De Choudens's follow-up to his promising debut feature Frères (2004) is a somewhat
lesser affair which attempts, a little too self-consciously, to combine
melodrama and noir-style caper movie, the result being a somewhat stilted hybrid that is
lacking both in charm and momentum. The fault lies less in the
direction and acting, which are adequate (but by no means excellent),
and more in the screenwriting, which relies too heavily on out-dated
clichés and struggles to get beyond the merely
superficial. De Choudens fails spectacularly to get the best out
of his lead performers, who look so bored with their roles that you
can't help wishing that some kind soul would put them out of their
misery. Hafsia Herzi, so engaging in Abdel Kechiche's La Graine et le mulet (2007),
jars constantly throughout the film and fails to make her character
more than a tiresome caricature, whilst Jacques Dutronc merely looks as
if he is trying to fight his way out of a drunken stupor. The
film grinds to shuddering halt even before it reaches its midpoint, but
those who stay through to the bitter end are rewarded with an ending so
crass and predictable that you just want to gnaw your arms and legs off
in despair.
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Film Synopsis
Having completed a twenty year stretch in prison, Joseph immediately
sets about preparing the ultimate hold-up. But he needs an
accomplice if the robbery is to succeed. Unable to trust anyone,
he decides to initiate 20-year-old Julie in his crime...
Cast:Jacques Dutronc (Joseph),
Hafsia Herzi (Julie),
Aurélien Recoing (Raphaël),
Denis Ménochet (Franck),
Thierry Gibault (Olivier),
Marc Bodnar (Patrick),
Georges Delettrez (Le commissaire-priseur),
Antoine Saulnier (L'agent Drouot),
Fabrice Cals (Chauffeur cliente enchères),
Marie-Claude Auribault (Cliente enchères),
Christian Sourdille (Client enchères),
Marc Rousseau (Employé casino),
Jean-Luc Guion Firmin (Homme de main),
Jean-Luc Guillotin (Homme de main),
Sébastien Fromanger (Homme de main),
Romain Coindet (Croupier)
Country: France
Language: French
Support: Color
Runtime: 86 min
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