La proie

French thriller that moves right along, incrementally closing down your brain as it does so. Albert Dupontel has the face to makes it work as a con on the lam but he's undermined by his nemesis - lady cop Alice Taglioni who looks likes she's just stepped off the catwalk. Her long, luxuriant arms look like they wouldn't trouble a fly of average strength but here they're knocking perps flat out. Even for the French, this is a bit de trop. The rest of the cast are the real deal with everyone playing their part to the hilt. It also looks good and the endless chases are well executed but in most aspects it's blown away by French TV cop shows like Spiral.

One of the best tense thrillers seen in a long time though be also prepared to witness the terribly sick side of the human mind so well depicted. The film is packed with superb action, chases, suspense and tension and yet never feeling over the top as the scenario painted is so very plausible. Albert Dupontel plays the role of the fugitive prisoner with such realism, one gets the impression one is watching a docu-drama.

Where good many films content themselves with ensuring the viewer is left in a pleasant frame of mind as the story finally unfolds, this one has the courage to portray events more akin to reality, perhaps this may explain the film's low IMDb score and why even the critics may have found the movie hard to stomach?

This is a first rate, hugely entertaining action-packed thriller directed by Eric Valette, following his already very good State Affairs. This time he handles a much bigger budget, but maintains tons of personality together with the testosterone. French star Albert Dupontel is amazingly intense as a tough bank robber pitted against an unpredictable killer and trying to save his family while he is chased by the police. Alice Taglioni is also very good as a Jodie Foster-flavored investigator, newcomer Stephane Debac nuanced and frightening as an average Joe who happens to be a psychopath. There's a wonderful appearance by Sergi Lopez as a retired cop who believes he can feel a criminal when he crosses his path. Surprisingly good script, great cinematography, music and editing and the chase scenes are really exciting. The last reel by night in the hills of Provence is especially beautiful. One of the few European thrillers to rival (often blander) Hollywood fare, catch this one before they remake it.

This almost comes across as a TV Movie but its standard is much higher.

The action is mostly but not entirely in the tension. There are some really nice entirely physical cliffhangers to pull you to the edge of your seat.

The characterisation is superb and the plot, while admittedly a cliché, is excellently implemented.

Anyone who likes police drama or investigative thriller will find this an unusually good film of its genre.

For those that like any amount of the above but also want some eye candy, the cast will appeal to male and female alike.

I'm not that big on cheap melodrama type stuff (preferring deeper movies) but this one got me with the clarity and definition of portrayal of each role in the film.

It shocks. A bit like a knife in the side ;)

"La Proie" is a superbly tense and adrenalin-rushing thriller from Eric Valette, the director of the French horror sleeper "Malefique" and the hopelessly flopped Hollywood remake "One Missed Call". Although most unfortunate for them, I don't really mind when acclaimed European directors' debuts in Hollywood fail, because this usually means they return to their native country and strike back with a vengeance. In case of Eric Valette, he strikes back with a testosterone-packed thriller full of breathtaking stunts, convoluted plot lines, interesting characters and unexpected shock moments. Albert Dupontel profiles himself as a worthy successor of Jean-Paul Belmondo during the 70's and 80's; meaning a robust but charismatic and energetic hunk for whom you automatically develop feelings of sympathy regardless of whether he plays the hero or a villain. He plays Franck Adrien, a bank robber convicted for heist but still safekeeping the location of the loot. Within six months, he can return home to his beloved wife and daughter, but he makes the sad mistake of taking custody over his seemingly weak and vulnerable cell mate Jean-Louis Morel. Morel is wrongfully accused of child abuse and soon gets released from prison, but Franck painfully discovers that Morel is nevertheless a sadist serial killer who now knows the whereabouts of his family. Franck spectacularly escapes from prison and begins the pursue of Morel, yet meanwhile the most elite French police teams are pursuing him.

Okay, admittedly some of the action sequences are a tad bit grotesque and implausible. It's highly doubtful that anyone simply runs away at 20mph moments after he threw himself through the widow of a six-storey building onto the rooftop of a car. It's even less likely that someone walks around with a shot wound in his stomach for several days and then still goes out climbing rocks. But seriously, I couldn't care less about all the illogical stuff in "La Proie", simply because the film is so incredibly fast-paced and entertaining. Franck's continuous cat-and- mouse games with the police result in some of the best action I've seen in years, whereas the sub plot concentrating on Jean-Louis Morel generates authentic old-fashioned suspense and fear. Stéphane Debac depicts a petrifying nihilistic predator who relentlessly stalks his victims while his docile wife even assists him! The scenario contains several unpleasant (but highly efficient) surprises and remains unpredictable until the denouement. Furthermore, Eric Valette makes terrific use of the beautiful Southern France filming locations and the entire supportive cast delivers excellent work. Definitely a must-see if you dig non-stop action flicks like "The Transporter", "Crank", "Chaser", etc