Director: Jacques Audiard
A French crime film that happens to be a remake of little-known American film from the 1970's, when a movie has that description, it's bound to be at least worth a watch. This is the film Jacques Audiard made before A Prophet, a film I believe to be a masterpiece, and it's obvious after watching this film that A Prophet represented Audiard reaching the top of the potential he shows in The Beat That My Heart Skipped. The movie is very well-made, there is some raw filmmaking and also some very raw acting by Romain Durais. Both Durais and Audiard are the ones who deserve credit for creating such a raw and gritty film that really works, despite the fairly standard and sentimental story.
The story is right out of The Godfather, a young man whose family is involved with crime would like to get out of the criminal world but his responsibility to family ends up making it difficult to do so. In this film it's made even more obvious and sentimental because our protagonist wants to be a piano player, the complete opposite of a guy who hurts people for money (it's a little too on the nose). The issue of filial responsibility is what is most interesting in the film. It's been done before, but this film adds an interesting aspect with the introduction of the debt concept. Your parents took care of you, you have to take care of them, and that's even if they get into hurting people for not paying them back. You can see the irony and that the theme of debt is quite clear. Even though the ideas in the film are not very unique, the film is well done enough to make it a quality piece of art.
Grade: B
