Mea culpa

When I saw the trailer of Mea Culpa, I was really seduced. Vincent Lindon and Gilles Lellouche together in a thriller with real tough scenes, I jumped on this must see ... and I wasn't disappointed at all.

And the movie begins very hard, and it goes on like this till the end : lot of twists and surprises all along the movie, with physical strength and action packed sequences. And noir destiny, very noir.

Believe it, editing and cinematography serve effectively each scene, and you are always surprised. A constant pleasure. And a very smart ending.

Vincent Lindon and Gilles Lellouche are stunning, I just loved their magnetic friendship. They are the main characters really developed.

There are some relevant references to classic movies masterpieces, which make want to see again Framed directed by Phil Karlson, same kind of fights.

I'm waiting for the next Fred Cavayé.

A mother and her child come out of the police station. Two killers drive by on a motorcycle with the aim of killing the boy. And the mother tells her son to run away? Any mother would be grabbing her son and bringing him back into the police station, or just hiding behind a car so as not to get shot. Sending her son away on his own is such an improbable scenario. It's almost laughable.

I found this film rather shallow, with lots of violence and little in the way of serious plot. Simon was an interesting character but could have been developed further, I feel. Violence in films will always draw an audience but if not supported by a meaningful story it's appeal is seriously limited, in my opinion.

Vincent Lindon plays Simon who is an ex - police officer. Years ago he was dismissed from the gendarmes for causing a car accident whilst drunk. Since he was released from prison he has failed to reconnect with his estranged wife and ten year old son, It is as if a part of him died in the car crash too. He is now making a sort of living working for a security firm.

His old partner from the police - Franck (Gilles Lelouche) has stayed loyal to him, though Simon finds that hard to understand. Then a random incident puts the lives of Simon's son and wife in jeopardy. This turn of events brings the two friends back together to take on the bad guys and defend Simon's family.

The above is a simple synopsis and actually belies how well crafted this plot is. It is brilliantly directed and the actors are all excellent especially the main ones. It is both stylish and gritty at the same time. The tension is well ramped up and the mood is one that exemplifies the danger almost from the start. There is also a bull fight sequence here which may upset some people - so please take note. This is though a real edge of seat actioner that has a heart and a compelling story line - which makes it very easy to recommend this one.

An accident can mess up your life completely. Especially if you're not in control ... Some might call it tough luck, others unfortunate circumstances, but whatever the case our main lead had a rough ride up until now and it doesn't seem to get better for him (or his family, whether they are close to him or not doesn't matter, because he does care for them).

The acting is more than solid and the story is really nicely and expertly told. There might be things that you can tell happening and you might see twists even before they are revealed fully, but that doesn't take anything away from the movie. It just shows you've seen a lot of movies, which isn't a bad thing either. A lot french thrillers seem to be worth your while, definitely this one