Les Cinq Diables

It's definitely a drama/mystery. There are odd things that happen surrounding the daughter, Vicky, that you aren't suppose understand from the beginning, but will be clear once you reach the end. The story is confusing, because it's meant to be, because the characters have a intense history that you don't know. It's kind of like the sixth sense where you aren't meant to understand everything the 1st time you watch it, but with the sixth sense, you didn't really know you didn't understand everything until the end. I think the problem some people have with this film is, confusing things happen surrounding Vicky, and even at the end, they don't actually have a person say IN WORDS, what's the deal with Vicky, you just have to figure it out, but it's not that hard when you think over every thing you saw. Imagine watching the sixth sense, but they never specifically referenced ghosts, and the kid never said "i see dead people", but all the evidence of him seeing dead people was there.

The Five Devils is a very nice looking film. It is full of artsy compositions and colorful scenery. It is well performed; the actors are very naturalistic, and no one is over the top or feels unrealistic. The story, on the other hand, is not for everyone. It follows a family at a crossroads when someone from their past returns to town. How each character handles this reappearance makes up most of the runtime. There is a fantastical element, as one character is able to enter moments from the past, but almost everything else is handled very realistically. I was very neutral towards this movie. I was definitely wanting to see where it went, but once it was finished, I was ready to move on. I didn't feel compelled to reflect on what I had seen. I was hoping for more tension or emotion of some sort, but it was all pretty subdued. My opinion is that this one is skippable.

This incredible french drama delves deep into a genre breaking experience in very interesting ways.

The actors and the script is incredible, and so is the cinematography, cutting and. It is simply a very beautifully and uniquely put together piece.

Overall, an incredible and acclaimed film that is very much recommended for any lover of film.

The effects, and the overall idea and execution works very fluidly. The end result is a very unique piece that stays with you for a long time.

Overall, yet another testament to the greatness of french cinema, and how you can bend genres and conventions in very appreciated and interesting ways.

Les Cinq Diables, from director Léa Mysius, begins with intrigue but never fully delivers on its concept. Adèle Exarchopoulos is magnetic in every scene, and Sally Dramé rivals Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) as the cutest kid ever. If this movie shines for any one reason, it is that we get to spend 96 minutes with these two.

The story and storytelling, however, are the weakest links. For a good chunk of the film, the story sort of meanders without any real sort of tension, presumably to tease out the mystery. Some plot points end up going nowhere, the climax that gets supernaturally pieced together doesn't pack the punch it seems it is going for, and I think a lot more could have been done to bring the themes home and make it far more powerful. In a way it reminds me of a Jacques Audiard film in the way it unloads a lot of rich theme but does not tie it down neatly for the viewer--which may be frustrating for some audiences and thought-provoking for others.

Les Cinq Diables is an ambitious film that lays decent groundwork but never seems to find its footing. It may leave enough for some interesting discussion on the interface between sexuality and relationships through the eyes of the innocent, but its clever approach more often gets entangled in subpar storytelling and a loosely-threaded plot.

Watch it for the cute kid and for the goddess Adele. Skip if you desire a more cohesive narrative.

Without assistance, teaching, learning you've acquired, certain skills that take you back to times expired, with your jars of concoction, your magic causes a motion, that can take you back to places you desire. What you find, seems to defy, cause and effect, and the paradox is a mystery and detracts, as your appearance would affect, all the outcomes you'd expect, chicken, egg, just takes you to a disconnect. So you scratch your head, your chin and raise your brows, as you determine all the why's and where's and how's, all the acting is quite fine, Adele is always so divine, but there are better ways to engage and arouse.