«Fleuve noir»

Cinema Wednesdays - Loris S. Musumeci

«Listen, lady, a brave boy like yours doesn't just disappear.»

Major Visconti is in charge of the Dany case. Dany Arnault disappeared on a Wednesday. He left home in the morning to go to school, but didn't go to class. No trace of him. But the cop, played by Vincent Cassel, finds it hard to concentrate on the case: he's an alcoholic and his son is involved in an affair involving deal. Yet he never gives up. The appearance of an all-too-suspicious suspect, Professor Bellaile, and, above all, the burgeoning love for the victim's mother Solange, push Visconti to go beyond the rights granted to him by the investigation.

Fleuve noir presents itself well. Firstly, the director is not just anyone. Erik Zonca, although his filmography is still rather slim, won the César for Best Film for The Dream Life of Angels, in 1999. Then, of course, there are the two stars who draw audiences into theatres: Vincent Cassel and Romain Duris. And therein lies the trap, as the actors' performance is highly unbalanced. In the secondary roles, we can sometimes appreciate Sandrine Kiberlain, who is excellent, and sometimes deplore the presence of Hafsia Herzi, who doesn't seem to be in her element. Between Cassel and Duris, it's the latter who wins out, because Cassel overplays the alcoholic cop, but also because Duris is extremely accurate and captivating in his interpretation of Bellaile.

In fact, thanks to this character's success, Fleuve noir brings to the screen the excellent theme of the confusion between fiction and reality. The script has its weaknesses, but on this point it makes no mistakes. Where is reality? Where is fiction? It's a game of illusions that's rather difficult to convey on film. Even aces like Roman Polanski have been known to fall foul of this kind of tactic. Based on a true story, released last year.

In terms of photography, the film continues to score high marks. While there are no truly original uses of the image in the service of the plot, the shots are signed with admirable finesse. Color tones revolve around the dreary beige typical of crime films. Green and blue lights add a darker, sadder mood. All in all, Fleuve noir remains mixed in terms of the actors' performance, but the subject is beautifully complex and the effect thriller works well.

«I can't give up. Writing is my prison.»

Write to the author : loris.musumeci@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Agora Films