Les Lyonnais

The only possible answer to the question raised in this user comment's subject line is simple and straightforward, namely: nowhere near as badass as grandpa Edmon 'Momon' Vidal in "Les Lyonnais"! Or any of his fellow gang buddies, for that matter! "Les Lyonnais" is inspired by the true story and memoirs of Momon Vidal; the poor son of gypsy parents who built himself up to the leader of a feared gang that committed numerous of violent armed robberies in the Lyon region during the sixties and early seventies. However, all the crimes and trials of that era are narrated and illustrated through flashbacks, as the film primarily takes place in 2010 and opens at the baptism party of Momon's grandson. For the past 25 years he has lived a luxurious and relatively honest life, but now his oldest and dearest friend Serge is in trouble. Serge is apprehended by the police, but prison is full of henchmen of the crime boss that he double-crossed. Since friendship is the most important value to Momon, he organizes a plan to help Serge even though he very well realizes this will bring him right back to his old criminal habits. Given the nature of the plot, protagonist characters and a handful of significant sequences (like for example the baptism), "Les Lyonnais" is inevitably reminiscent to "The Godfather" and – like many other reviews so unmistakably state clear – not as good. Yeah well, so what? Hardly any movie is as good as "The Godfather", but that doesn't stand in the way of "Les Lyonnais" being an extremely intense and absorbing thriller with many brutal sequences, tight atmosphere and stellar performances. The main trumps of the film, apart from the charismatic ensemble cast, are the realistic brotherhood portrayals and the swift transitions between the gang's activities in the '60s and present day. During the flashbacks, being a criminal and kick- starting violent gang wars is glorified quite blatantly, but the script also clearly criticizes the contemporary French juridical system. Momon and Serge initially just were two harmless young troublemakers, but they rolled into the criminal life after they were sentenced to six months in prison for stealing a handful of cherries (which aptly also is the title of Edmond Vidal's memories). The flashbacks are the most entertaining parts of the film, since they seem to come straight out those primarily Italian & French euro-crime/Poliziotteschi movies from the seventies; which happens to be my favorite cult cinema sub- genre. You know, exhilarating chases in crummy old cars, characters with gigantic mustaches, harsh drive-by shootings and relentless executions in the middle of crowded streets! The scenes set in the present day are much more sophisticated and dramatic, but they are still fast-paced and loaded with suspense. Gérard Lanvin gives away a downright phenomenal performance as Vidal, and he's brilliantly backed up by Tchéky Karyo and Daniel Duval.

A french thriller with terrific actors in the main roles. It is quite predictable all along (the main twist is something you should have figured out sooner rather than later), but the actors make it more than enjoyable to watch.

The suspense is still sustained throughout the movie, which has to do with the settings, the framing and the editing of the movie. Good work has been done in those departments. There's some violence in this movie, but it's not relishing in it. The morals might also be something you have trouble with identifying. A more than solid effort that is not only for Euro thriller lovers

This is the story of Edmond Vidal, better known as Momom, a boy who spent his entire childhood in a poor gypsy camp. With a strong sense of family and loyalty, he and his childhood friend Serge began committing petty thefts and ended up involved in organized crime. In the 1970s, the two formed the Gang des Lyonnais, becoming recognized as the greatest criminals of the time. After an arrest in 1974, Momom and Serge drifted apart. Today, almost 60 years old, Edmond wants to forget his past and live his life with his family... But the past will come knocking on his door again, in the form of Serge.

The plot has a very good premise, based on real events, which I really love. However, I started out feeling motivated, and the motivation didn't come during the film, although there were several interesting scenes and a few disgusting ones of torture, a beautiful story of love between bandits, society, friendship, complicity and betrayal, great elements for a good thriller, which didn't captivate me as much as I thought it would... A good film about the life of crime and redemption of Edmond "Momom" Vidal...

I expected a lot from this film as Lanvin and Karyo are big names in cinema no matter where you live. It surpassed my expectations by miles. The dialog is thought provoking, the plot contains enough twists to keep you hooked, but does so with finesse rather than going over the top. All the actors/actresses are well cast at no point did I feel anyone was in the wrong part or unconvincing. The action was perfectly balanced with the plot, too much would have spoiled it, too little and it wouldn't be much of a crime film. The settings were good, as was the style in which it was filmed. I don't want to describe the story as I think it's so good that it is worth watching with no preconceptions. For me a standout film, one of the best I have seen in a long time and the director should be applauded. Its subtitled but they were flawless and at no point did it occur to me that the lack of English sound was a problem. I would heartily recommend watching.

Entertainment at the highest levels of engagement. All the emotions are triggered and captured over and over again as we visit with 35 years of a friendship that was tested to the limits. Did it or does it hold is one good question. When it comes to crime, one never knows what to expect as crime doesn't play by the rules but by its own rules. One has to remember that as violent as a gang wants to be, there is always someone more violent that wants to prove that point. Both are motivated but only one can prevail. Everyone knows the police are restricted, dumb and don't catch on quickly, but what if they are not? Furthermore, what about human nature which proves to be unreliable time and again when things get dicey. Good acting, tense direction, clear cut story that makes several points and then does one good thing. It lets you be the judge of the outcome. This is as it should be. Tasty drink and finger foods recommended and this draws you in so no distractions to interfere with that or you will ruin the ten rating for yourself