Max & Jérémie

Very decent film for all to watch, provided that you are not a minor. I've always enjoyed watching this picture with a close loved one. Bjorn gives a spectacular performance.

This French thriller drama is inspired by the female crime novelist Teri White, who wrote interesting crime books about the complexity of relationships between men, and ONLY men: borderline cops, outcasts. From a woman author, that's very interesting, strange and also surprisingly good. One of her novel was adapted, also by the French movie industry: REGARDE LES HOMMES TOMBER, a pure masterpiece. In her stories, she shows her trademark, different characters have their paths cross and that leads to tragedy. The writing and character study is always awesome, terrific, poignant, I would say captivating. So unusual. Of course sometimes, homosexuality is more or less suggested but never, NEVER shown. Everything is written in subtlety. Teri White is an unique writer for me. The book from which this film is adapted is not her best, not the darkest, the most gloomy, unlike the others, so that's not the one I prefer. The movie is rather faithful to the novel, but in that scheme, this topic of two hired killers - one older than the other; the master and the pupil - do not expect to find another MECHANIC scheme, the outstanding Michael Winner's film, starring Charles Bronson and Jan Michael Vincent. Nothing to do with this one.

This is for you, If you like the elegant french-style assassin. The very fine Philippe Noiret shows us again a great performance spiced with his typical humour. The film shows interesting aspects of the relations between an old policeman (Marielle) and Noiret as the more or less souvereign retired killer. If you look only for the usual Lambert-Action movie then you are served better with his other movies. This one is - well- calm and slower paced. Lambert is good here as the foolish young man. The character development very believable although they keep a surprise until the end. I liked it (7/10).

The plot is a bit convoluted and raw, like people didn't think too much about it, which is strange, because it is based on a book. However the acting is amazing! Philippe Noiret does the stuck up aristocrat role, which he may have done before, but Christophe Lambert is brilliant in playing this dumb kid who is being used by the mob to kill people, but doesn't understand his value at all.

So my bottom line is that with enough attention to script details, this could have been a masterpiece. As it stands, it's just a great example of good acting. It deserves a rewrite!

Max et Jérémie is a very good movie, has a good script and is well produced. The cast is good too, Lambert (my favorite actor) and Philip Noiret are great actors. The movie is a little boring, but the action scenes are great. If you are a Lambert fan you will like this movie.