[critical] The Watcher

The commissioner Mattei is about to arrest a notorious gang of robbers of banks, when a sniper in cover on the rooftops, decimating an army of cops and lets his accomplices escape. Unfortunately, one of them is seriously injured, and the result of their plan is compromised. While Mattei organizes a massive manhunt, the gang begins a true descent into hell…

Author’s Note

[rating:7/10]

• Release Date : September 5, 2012

• Directed by Michele Placido

• Film French, belgian, Italian

• With Daniel Auteuil, Mathieu Kassovitz, Olivier Gourmet

• Duration : 1h29min

• Trailer :

Is being done about our borders (at least for the younger), mainly with Romanzo criminal, a perfect complement to the best of Our years of Marco Tullio Giordana, convincing reminders that the Italian cinema was great (and may still be), Michele Placido crosses the Alps and comes to film a thriller in Paris (not without having previously completed 2 other films a lot more confidential).

Actor himself to his heres perddues, Placido is surrounded by two actors-directors, one at each end of the face-to-face, without a doubt, for that explanation to be simplified. It is always better when it plays to the outside. To my right, Daniel Auteuil. If, if, he also realizes, he is currently in the midst of a crisis of adaptations of Pagnol, perhaps to close the loop, the under-gifted who has gained recognition in Ugolino. A little bloated, it handles nicely, its credibility as a cop gained in Olivier Marchal. To my (extreme?) left, Mathieu Kassovitz, who claims to hate it as much as ever to play but that should do the cherry after the unfair bide his latest achievement, Order, and Morality (to be reviewed urgently, a band of ungrateful). Faithful to his habit, he doesn’t play, but happens to be intense anyway. In the rest ddu casting, the impressive Olivier Gourmet is located next to a very good secondary roles, among which Francis Renaud or Arly Jover, kinds of we-know-ever-how-they-called (but on-the-loves-well-when-same)

The trailer was selling us a duel between cop and sniper, the identity of the last remaining mysterious and one could imagine a survey a long and winding road, marked by other acts of “bravery” of the shooter. Once again, we were misled on the goods: it is not (too much) of it, but instead of yet another film case. Or rather complications that ensued, the case is not even shown. The film then connects the twists and the pranks between members of the gang, with a breakaway to the movie serial-killer.

This is what many blame on the director, who does not know where to take his film, and seems to shoot on sight (an absurdity for a flm sniper). If you can actually accuse him of lack of originality (it could, however, say as much of the highly over-rated Millennium), directed by Placido and his images are cold to demonstrate the know-how that keeps them under tension until the end and the interpretation of top-flight ends to make the whole thing very watchable.