Variety, CA
Feb 14 2008

Lady Jane
Posted: Wed., Feb. 13, 2008, 8:00pm

(France)
An Agat Films & Cie, France 3 Cinema co-production, with the
participation of Canal Plus, Cinecinema, with the support of La
Region Provence Alpes Cote D’Azur, in association with Le Centre
National de la Cinematographie, Poste Image, Soficinema 3.
(International sales: Films Distribution, Paris.) Produced, directed
by Robert Guediguian. Screenplay, Jean-Louis Milesi, Guediguian.

With: Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gerard Meylan, Yann
Tregouet, Frederique Bonnal, Jacques Boudet.

By RUSSELL EDWARDS

Violence begets violence and pat homilies in crimer-cum-morality tale
"Lady Jane," from earthy French helmer Robert Guediguian. After
previous efforts "The Journey to Armenia" and "The Last Mitterand,"
which took him onto a broader canvas, helmer returns to the gritty
Marseilles milieu that informed much of his earlier work. Thriller
aspect will likely alienate his fan base outside Gaul, and
international crime buffs will find the yarn too convenient and
unconvincing. Within France, however, combination of esteemed helmer
and noirish flavor is likely to find wide acceptance on April 2008
release.
Pic begins with three masked figures passing out free fur coats in a
Marseilles whorehouse while the soundtrack pumps rebelliously jaunty
electronic-blues music. Story then jumps to shopkeeper Muriel (Ariane
Ascaride) tending to a customer in a perfumerie whose moniker, Lady
Jane, matches a cannabis-leafed tattoo on her wrist. Mid-sale, Muriel
receives a distressing phone call in which, due to cell-phone
technology, she can see that her teenage son is being held at
gunpoint.

Upset but outwardly cool, Muriel gets together with her old pals,
shipwright Francois (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) and strip-club owner
Rene (Gerard Meylan), who agree to help her raise the requested
ransom.

Gradually, both Francois and Rene show evidence of a criminal past,
and a flashback confirms the three middle-aged protags were the
masked Robin Hoods in the film’s opening. Flashback climaxes with
Muriel revealing her tattoo to their victim, who was obviously chosen
to settle a score, before spitefully executing him.

Link between the killing and the kidnapping is not apparent at first,
but when the exchange of Muriel’s son for the ransom goes startlingly
awry, the connection becomes prematurely obvious. Earlier taut
narrative becomes blatantly schematic, and pic morphs into a
tut-tutting riposte to the sadistic (and more convincing) fatalism of
Michael Haneke’s "Cache". Matched with a ham-fisted resentment of
modern technology, the lecturing tone underlines the suspicion that
Guediguian’s film is too narrowly partisan in all its arguments.

Perfs by helmer’s regular ensemble players Ascaride, Darroussin and
Meylan impress in their emotional scenes and their onscreen
familiarity perfectly projects longtime camaraderie. However, only
the crumple-faced Darroussin is successfully reborn an aging survivor
from a Jean-Pierre Melville crimer.

For a director unaccustomed to thrillers, the action sequences are
well helmed. Fuzzy lensing gives pic a semi-romanticized, somewhat
amateurish hue. Soundtrack eclectically swings from blues to
classical and contempo French pop, but is smartly placed. All other
tech credits are pro.

Camera (color), Pierre Milon; editor, Bernard Sasia; production
designer, Michel Vandestien; sound (Dolby), Laurent Lafran. Reviewed
at Berlin Film Festival (competing), Feb. 12, 2008. Running time: 102
MIN.

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