Maldoror

In 'Maldoror', director Fabrice du Welz tackles one of Belgium's darkest pages in recent history. The abduction and death of several teenage girls by Marc Dutroux caused a national trauma in 1996. The fact that local police forces and criminal investigators hardly cooperated during the investigation, may have cost the girls their lives. This failure led to a thorough reorganisation of law enforcement.

The movie tells the story from the viewpoint of a police officer, Paul Charlier, who searched the cellar where the girls were hidden. He heard them whisper, but couldn't find them because of the limited search warrant. These events happened in reality, but Du Welz mixes facts and fiction in his film. He portrays the police officer as a typical streetwise cop, who prefers his gut feelings over rules and procedures. Charlier knows he is right, but his superiors have other priorities. Ultimately, his perseverance and lack of respect for authorities lead to his downfall, the end of his marriage, but also to his ultimate moral victory.

The movie is at the same time an exciting police thriller and a character study of Charlier. His strong will is the result from his upbringing: his parents were far from law-abiding. He is determined to be 'on the right side', but for him hunting down criminals is what counts. If rules and regulations stand in the way, he ignores them.

Visually, the film is a joy to watch. The desolate industrial wasteland of Charleroi, where the abductions took place, is used to the maximum. Also, the hopelesness of the city, where unlawful activities seem to thrive, adds to the gloomy atmosphere.

The film documents an important part of Belgian history, and for those who followed the events at the time, it is an interesting interpretation. But some events are clearly fictional. In order to make an exciting police thriller with political elements, the movie abandoned historical accuracy.

Fabrice du Welz's "Maldoror" is a brutal and unflinching dive into a world of moral decay. The film is a visceral and punishing experience. A relentless sense of dread and a suffocatingly grim atmosphere propel the narrative forward. Du Welz masterfully creates a claustrophobic and unsettling environment.

This is not a conventional horror or thriller. Instead, "Maldoror" functions as a psychological endurance test. It explores the darkest aspects of human nature with a cold, direct gaze. At 155 minutes, the film can feel long. However, its unflinching look at systemic issues and moral ambiguity is compelling. The film avoids simple answers. It meditates on how broken systems can push people toward questionable choices.

Is It Worth Watching? Yes, but with a strong warning. This film is a powerful and disturbing work of art. It is a skillfully crafted thriller for viewers who appreciate challenging, morally complex crime dramas. The heavy subject matter and extreme content demand emotional resilience. It is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Inspired by horrifying crimes of infamous Belgian serial killer and child molester Marc Dutroux, "Maldoror" uses that case as a cornerstone to concoct a wholly fictionalised police procedural around, one that follows a young, hotheaded cop whose obsessive nature regarding the case threatens to destroy not only his career but but his entire life as well.

This film just flew by, even with a runtime two and a half hours I found myself fully engaged all the way through (it could have been longer for all I cared) The entire production as a whole is also a triumph, the grimy locations, disintegrating cityscape, disheveled characters and the ever greyed sky above it all sets an amazing backdrop for the dark and depressing story playing out on the screen.

Additionally the performances from the actors are all equally great, so why not a higher rating for this film?

Well, there's some very obvious script problems plaguing this movie, which along with a basic lack of originality or subtlety in regard to the material, severely compromise its many appealing qualities.

The movie starts off with incredibly momentum only to squander a lot of that goodwill when the second half takes a turn down a slightly more ludicrous path, stocking up on needless melodrama and questionable character attributes along the way, which doesn't really take away the watchability in the here and now, but does leave a bit of a sour taste when the movie is over.

But this is still a great watch for crime fans and while the material may seem dark and to some even distasteful (child abduction, pedophilia) I found it to be handled in a way in which it shouldn't be too difficult for the more mainstream audience members to watch along.

So, if you're able to ignore the aforementioned points of criticism, It's ultimately a very effective thriller that awaits you.

From Belgium comes the new film by one of Europe's most exciting directors today. Fabrice Du Welz recounts one of the crimes that shocked all of Belgium in the 1990s. Based on the brutal murders, rapes, and kidnappings of Marc Dutroux.

The director brings a truly cruel tale to the screen, but intensifies it with a personal look at a young police officer, whose personal story he takes the time to fully present in order to understand his direction throughout the investigation. By making this decision, the director delivers an excessively long film that, despite its 155 minutes, doesn't become tedious, but does feel somewhat redundant in certain areas.

It relies on its cast, who are fully committed, especially Anthony Bajon, who intensely takes hold of his character and demonstrates his talent for delivering raw moments with just a glance. An actor who is quite dedicated in his performances, he makes the most of it here. Along with Sergi López as the cruel man of the show, in a performance worthy of one of Spain's most chameleon-like actors, Alba Gaïa Bellugi, the iconic Béatrice Dalle, and Laurent Lucas also stand out.

Fabrice Du Welz's work is daring, but not explosive. While incisive at times, it doesn't emphasize cruelty to intensify the evil hidden throughout the story. Its director chooses, with mere glances and silences, to make us part of the cruelty hidden by a ruthless and inhuman killer. The mounting tension, the moral dilemmas that cross the line, and the personal consequences address a first-class drama in a solid film that grips you, envelops you, and slaps you in the face in equal measure at every moment.

A great film worth seeing, understanding, comprehension, analysis, and reflection on. A crime that still moves a Belgian society that's learning from its own mistakes, and the film emphasizes the things that went wrong with a bit more dramatization, but ultimately with a touch of reality. A more than interesting filmmaker who positions himself as truly passionate about bringing us closer to human cruelty.

I know it should be called "if you can" ... and I reckon that would have worked too ... but I decided to go that way ... still no pun intended. The movie is based on a real story - and me not having any idea what happened back in the 90s ... and from what I understand this takes a lot of creative licenses ... with who did what to whom ... who survived and who didn't ... and I assume the main character (police/gendarmerie) is an amalgamation of many characters into one - I could obviously be wrong, but I would not be surprised if that was the case.

That said, the movie might be long (2,5 hours), but it never really feels that way. Well maybe during the wedding stuff at the beginning ... been there, done and know that. Greeks party similar - like the Italians ... is this necessary for the story? I would argue not ... but maybe I am missing something.

The thrilling part is really well done ... you feel with the main character ... a lot of things go wrong ... he has the right eye, he has the right "nose" ... but will he be able to convince others of that? A lot of departments working almost against each other ... this is well told and acted ... still for me a factor x is missing to make this go over the top ... as many praises as it has gotten ... and as good as it is ... the last push is missing ... a bit more charisma maybe ... more tension throughout ... and so forth.