La prochaine fois je viserai le coeur

There is no denying the fact that much has been written about serial killers in press especially in the print media. However, when it comes to depicting their crimes and shady lives, cinema has not been able to achieve considerable success. It might be due to the fact the cinema glamorizes their images to such a large extent that it is difficult to sift fact from fiction. French film "La Prochaine Fois Je Viserai Le Coeur" is about a unique serial killer. He is one of those rare serial killers who would flagellate himself in order to repent for crimes committed. One doesn't come across such exemplary behavior from most serial killers. French director Cedric Anger gives a detailed description of a police man (serial killer)'s failed romantic relationship with a married woman. However, his film does not answer numerous questions which begin with a big "Why" of all murders which were the handiwork of a police man. The film starts with an important disclaimer. It states : "This film is based on one of the most strange French criminal stories. The facts described here are, for a large extent, taken from official documents, statements and talks with concerned people". It doesn't prevent anybody from putting a question mark on French gendarmerie's ability to detect that something was wrong within their ranks. Next Time I'll Aim for the Heart is not an entertainment film Per Se despite its strong French box office figures of 490,537 tickets sold. Hence, it needs to be watched for the crucial role it is playing in letting the society know about the patterns of a serial killer.

cold, dark, precise. portrait of a serial killer using details and suggestion. a splendid role of Guillaume Canet. and a lot of questions. because it is not exactly adaptation of a case. but picture of society. because it is not presents motifs or excuses , not gives an anti-hero, not use drops of romanticism. it is only a cold image about a man and his crimes. Ana Girardot is a nice surprise. inspired option for remind another kind of Sonia from Crime and Punishment. the images, the dialogs, the story. nothing as part of a classic crime. only as support of reflexion. about universe as puzzle from Ionesco's small crumbs from his plays.

A police officer cum serial killer targets the random girls and kills them brutally... He erase the evidence by using his police power.. Soo police department got very challenge to catch the him... But at last catch him with strong evidence... Good making and photography... Protogonist acted soo well..!

One time watchable movie..!

A police officer cum serial killer targets the random girls and kills them brutally... He erase the evidence by using his police power.. Soo police department got very challenge to catch the him... But at last catch him with strong evidence... Good making and photography... Protogonist acted soo well..!

One time watchable movie..!

Intelligent, frosty character study of a French serial killer of young girls, based on a real case from the 1970s. The super dark anti-hero is played with great subtlety by Guillaume Canet, and the film is very well shot.

But there's a last layer missing that keeps this from going from a very good film to a great one. As much as it's always interesting, and sometimes even heartbreaking, there's a lack of larger theme or context that keeps this confined to being a thriller/character study - if a very intelligent and thoughtful one - and not the rare film that transcends into something even larger.

But it's still very worth seeing as a study of a brilliant but tortured man compelled to horrible violence, and on 2nd viewing I found it a more powerful and emotional experience, catching details and moments I missed the first time around.

Original French title for this film is "La prochaine fois je viserai le coeur". It is based upon the real events that took place in 1978 - 79 in Oise County in France. A serial killer just starts killing young women and dumping their bodies. He then sends taunting letters to both the Police and their Gendarme cousins (separate departments). That is when the hunt is on. We know from pretty early on who the culprit is and so this is more of an examination of who this man was and what were his motives as well as a recreation of what took place.

The film plays out in a linear fashion with no back story and the makers have said they have had to use a lot of imagination and even supposition to fill those blanks in. So it is a work of fiction. Guillaume Canet ('Tell No-one') as the exemplar Gendarme with sociological issues is both chilling and convincing. The period detail is rather good but the eagle eyed amongst you will spot the same cars being used in different scenes (keep an eye out for a Triumph Herald) and as plot goes this does not hang about. As all thrillers need to be it is fast paced, there is an air of tension and the violence is both effective and at the same time done in an understated way.

All in all a very good French film - the subs could have been better - but that is generally the case these days. That said even at 111 minutes this felt like a much shorter film and as such it is one I would recommend.