Roubaix, misericórdia

Um drama criminoso bem-sucedido e sólido com um homicídio e investigação, mas sem o valor acrescentado, como, por exemplo, uma ligação temática a algo mais interessante, ou uma inovação cinematográfica na forma de narrativa. [Cannes] (24/05/2019)

It's perhaps a bit of a shame that the film takes on more criminal cases to crack than it can handle in its running time. We have a missing girl, an attempted insurance fraud, a girl raped on the subway, a fire and the murder of an elderly woman. Less is sometimes more, as we know, which is why this film would have benefited from dropping one line and developing the others more deeply. Once the second half gets into the interrogation of the two suspects and the reconstruction of the crime in question, the film picks up momentum and becomes very suspenseful. This is mainly due to the performances of Léa Seydoux and Sara Forestier, thanks to whom the viewer has no idea whose side the truth is on, something crucial for the crime genre. Roschdy Zem, on the other hand, as a well-mannered and even-tempered chief, brings light and insight to a dark, corrupt city and twisted cases, and his calming presence makes you believe that everything will soon be all right. (15/02/2020)

Essentially, it's a standard detective story that may not offend, but unfortunately, it doesn't impress either. The narrative is too drawn out, and a shorter runtime would have definitely benefited the film. However, the performances of Léa Seydoux and Sara Forestier are noteworthy. (60%) (19/09/2021)