Jean-François Richet has surrounded himself with a cast of shock, and an actor who brings him luck – Vincent Cassel -he tackles one of the most elusive characters in the story – Vidocq – and offers a historical reconstruction of several million euros. Made famous with death Instinct and The public Enemy n°1 , the director was already on the screen Vincent Cassel.
In The Emperor of Paris , at the cinema this week, the ex-convict lurking in the shallows of Paris. He tries to make himself forget. Caught, discovered, he no longer has that as a choice other than to betray it. The head of security (Patrick Chesnais) and Fouche (Fabrice Luchini), it offers its expertise and its networks to obtain in exchange for the precious freedom.
“READ ALSO – The Emperor of Paris: Vidocq, order without morals
The disappointment is almost unanimous in the press: “ The Emperor of Paris is a huge shortage of breath in what it tells, explains Geoffrey Crété d’ Wide-Screen . There is nothing more than a pseudo-anti-hero path good classic.” Has Télérama , Jacques Morice, says that “the incarnation and the lyricism that is all too often lacking in this popular entertainment, honest, lacking a bit of soul”. Stephen to Sorin in Figaro is more emphatic still. “There are all the ingredients for a great film popular. However, The Emperor of Paris fails to get rid of a heaviness pachydermique, regrets – there . The scenario falls into all the traps and has less blast than a tb.”.
The Sunday Newspaper , Stephanie Belpêche “regrets that the story lack of challenge and it looks like the episode of exposure of a saga to come.” On the other hand, she does not hide his admiration for the “epic show and the superb reconstruction of the era”.
” READ ALSO – Mary Poppins, Wildlife, Aquaman… The movies to see or avoid this week
“Jean-François Richet finally makes justice to the legendary ex-convict and became head of the Paris police”, with enthusiasm, a little lonely, Philippe Guedj of the Point . The journalist appreciated the “strong plea to the very nature of the covenant, a republican, and his project of unity”, the very motley group led by Vidocq regard to “living together”. But it recognizes, also, “a rhythm a little too posed in the image of its staging applied”.
Vidocq, Vincent Cassel divided
Highly anticipated in this role that he thought was tailor-made, Vincent Cassel manages to save the day, according to François Forest of Nouvel Observateur : “closed Face, top hat tilted on the forehead, the eye on the watch, Cassel consists of Vidocq terrible, wicked, incisive.” Ditto to Corinne Renou-Nativel The Cross : “With his presence, and charisma, Vincent Cassel makes a wrong a new vision of a Vidocq animal in the morgue, posted”.
Pierre Vavasseur from the Paris opposes this praise: “The reflections of his character’s focus on his top-of-form and Cassel does not live Vidocq: the panthéonise.” The criticism leads to the question of “whether we should not do away with the pompous project of historical re-enactment to the screen”.
“READ ALSO – Vidocq: 5 things to know about the famous convict became a police officer
For Virginia Morisson d’ have-type also, the disappointment is great. “This umpteenth version of the story of Vidocq, entertainment far away from the dizziness of the film is powerful and dramatic that we were all expecting.”
