L'EMPEREUR DE PARIS (THE EMPEROR OF PARIS)
Watchable. Rooted in French history so may be not so comprehensible to foreigners and/or those with little interest in historic events. Inspired by the character of Vidocq - a criminal turned criminology expert for the police and acted by Vincent Cassel whose face and curly hair resemble the original with the difference the actor's much slimmer. The production has adopted dark, mostly brown, hues for the majority of the movie, with virtually only aristocratic interiors lit and in lighter tones so it probably reflects the reality of the period but makes it hard to watch, heavy not only in the brutal plot. As for the plot, it mixes political events of the time, allusions to the present: Muslims, rightists in power, beheadings which are, among others, mentioned near pig heads in a marketplace, and the legend of the crook turned criminal vanquisher. Impressive use of historic interiors and well-studied costumes is marred by society ladies' dresses looking plastic.
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