Director: Cedric Jimenez
Cast: Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche, Celine Sallette, Melanie Doutey, Benoit Magimel
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 135 minutes
Synopsis: A newly appointed magistrate (Dujardin) tries to uncover, expose, and stop a lucrative drug racket.
The French Connection is one of America’s finest films and so 40 years on, it makes sense that it is time for the titular French to tell their side of the story in The Connection (or La French to give its original title). The classic starring Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider saw two NYC cops battling against a drug smuggling operation beginning life in France. Now we get to see how the French were tackling one of the world’s most infamous drug cases, and to match the Hollywood star power, we have two top French talents in Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin and Gilles Lellouche.
This pairing could be surmised as the equivalent to Heat’s combination of De Niro and Pacino, with both actors having a huge array of brilliant past works behind them. It’s also similar in that the two rarely share screen-time but their battle of wits against one another is always present. While Dujardin steps up to the plate as the cocky but level headed magistrate with a view to taking down the corruption in his country, Lellouche seems to be trying far too hard at being menacing. In certain scenes he gets the pitch just right, whereas in others his dialogue succeeds where his performance fails.
In terms of plotting, the film unfortunately follows a number of well worn paths. It’s American equivalent is over forty years older and still feels fresh and exciting with every viewing. The Connection meanwhile feels as though it could have been clobbered together from other films in its genre. The scenes are all constructed well and feel professional enough, but there will be a grand and inescapable sense of deja vu for even passers by to the genre.
The most fun comes from experiencing Jean Dujardin at his usual charming best. It’s a real pleasure seeing him overcome the odds against dangerous drug barons and corrupt cops. He swans about with his effortless cool, and knows when to bend a few of the rules for the greater good. His strong features work in conjunction with his pitch perfect delivery. Whether tackling criminals of the underworld, difficult colleagues, or his own family, Dujardin goes from scene to scene like a balletic wrecking ball.
A stunning film visually, The Connection recreates the 70s in production design, costumes, and even cinematography thanks to being shot on 35mm. It has both polish and grit in equal measure. It may manage to grace us with some moments of genuine fear and tension, as well as shocking violence that would be at home in a Scorsese picture, but considering the case has been explored before, we really deserved a new take on events rather than your run of the mill police thriller. Fully competent and excellently crafted, Jimenez’s latest just needed more individuality and more surprises.
The Connection is out in cinemas today.
