Variety
March 7 2009
Inside Ring
Le premier cercle (France-Italy)
By JORDAN MINTZER
A TFM Distribution release of an Alter Films, Thelma Films, TF1 Intl.,
TF1 Films Prod., Medusa Film production, in association with Sofica
Valor 7, La Banque Postale Image, with participation of Canal Plus,
CNC. (International sales: TF1 Intl., Paris.) Produced by Alain
Terzian, Christine Gozlan. Executive Producer, Francois-Xavier
Decraene. Directed by Laurent Tuel. Screenplay, Tuel, Simon Moutairou,
Laurent Turner.
With: Jean Reno, Gaspard Ulliel, Vahina Giocante, Sami Bouajila, Isaac
Sharry, Philippe Leroy-Beaulieu.
A handsomely crafted mafioso suspenser that reworks "The Godfather"
in the bars and on the beaches of France’s Cote d’Azur, "Inside
Ring" is high on visual thrills and slightly lower on
originality. Helmer Laurent Tuel’s yarn of a father-son criminal
empire thwarted by a dangerous love interest is a showcase of
strikingly lensed exteriors and action sequences, with credible but
unspectacular performances. Potent sound work and sharp editing also
help to maintain interest, despite a predictable plot. French biz
will be best in ancillary, while Jean Reno could boost chances of
foreign pickups.
Opening newsreel montage recounts the plight of Armenians who
emigrated to France after the 1915 genocide: Most settled into lives
of menial physical labor, while others opted for an underworld of
crime. But beyond this brief explanation, the film fails to give its
gangsters an engaging historic or ethnic background. The only things
these Armenians — who always speak in French — seem to have in
common is their love of flashy cars and all-black attire.
Luckily, the thrills kick in quickly with a beautifully shot car chase
that follows the action at low, realistic angles, as bad boy Anton
(Gaspard Ulliel) steals another Ferrari for his ruthless daddy, local
mob boss Milo (Reno). Beyond car theft, Milo’s family also excels at
home burglary, and when a Riviera villa heist results in one charred
corpse and lots of missing artwork, detective Saunier (Sami Bouajila,
solid and compelling) vows to take down the clan that killed his
partner a decade earlier.
Despite his appearance — slick hair, skintight shirts, expensive
shoes — Anton actually doesn’t care much for his father’s affairs,
and dreams of opening a hotel-cum-horse farm in a nearby village. When
he decides to flee the roost with g.f. Elodie (Vahina Giocante), Milo
refuses to let them go, and the family conflict happens to coincide
with an airport robbery. The extended sequence offers an impressive
display of smoke and mirrors, with gripping pyrotechnics captured in
eerie widescreen by d.p. Laurent Machuel ("Sex Is Comedy"), enhanced
by a range of stark, muted sound effects by Olivier Le Vacon and Cyril
Holtz.
Co-writer/director Tuel ("Children’s Play") reveals a genuine talent
for staging action without overloading on CGI or aggressive
cutting. But his characters — especially the young couple — could
have benefited from some nuance in their dialogue and costumes, as
they seem to be literally wearing their bios on their sleeves. That
Elodie, despite being the family nurse, knows nothing about Milo’s
nefarious activities also strains credulity.
Nice and Nimes location shooting is pure Pastis.
Camera (color, widescreen), Laurent Machuel; editor, Marion Monestier;
music, Alain Kremski; production designer, Carlos Conti; costume
designer, Pascaline Chavanne; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS Digital),
Olivier Le Vacon, Cyril Holtz; visual effects supervisor; Alain
Carsoux; assistant director, Jerome Zadjermann; casting, Gerard
Moulevrier. Reviewed at UGC Cine Cite Les Halles 13, Paris, Mar. 5,
2009. Running time: 94 MIN.
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