Total Western

I saw this movie at the premiere at the Grand Rex Monday night. Not knowing anything about the movie, except that I'd liked Rochant's "Aux yeux du monde", I was impressed. I found it was an intelligent film, with a good soundtrack, comparable with a good old American action movie, (suspense, simple but effective script) but keeping a popular French touch. It has all the elements of a fun shoot'em up movie, with pointed humor and a certain wistful detachment with regard to the (sometimes hard to take) violence. It can be enjoyed by fans of Pulp Fiction, Taxi (stupid but effective French movie) or the Seven Samurai or Ghost Dog.

This is a return to the rural thriller (hence the title :"total western" ;French Aveyron becomes the wild wild west ) which was trendy in the seventies and early eighties with works such as " La Horse" "La Veuve Couderc" or "Canicule" ;only violence -and I mean violence :Samuel Le Bihan's torture scene is almost unbearable -makes the difference .The gangsters are seventies-like (a straight-faced Jean Pierre Kalfon )and the teacher of teenagers with special needs (played by Jean-François Stevenin,who was the schoolteacher in Truffaut's "L'Argent De Poche "(small change), looks like a person who took part in the events of May 1968 .

Filmed on location in the splendid Aveyron landscapes where the home for delinquents is located ,the story is hackneyed ,but thanks to the cast ,the movie is not devoid of qualities:the youngsters are well directed and Le Bihan is credible (except for the last scenes when he becomes Rambo to the power of 10).It seems that the director does not know how to end his movie and the last scenes drag on (maybe he was waiting for the sunset!).Thus the best scenes are to be found in the first half ,with the arrival of the new "conselor" in the place ,and the problems dealing with the adults and the young people he encounters.

It's a good movie, that's sure. A few months before LE PACTE DES LOUPS or LES RIVIERES POURPRES , Eric Rochant made a great and violent film,with a lot of great gunfight sequences and a Samuel Le Bihan really good in a like-Rambo character. If you like guns, tortures, blood and sometimes free violence, take a look to this TOTAL WESTERN