Aside from the simple fact of watching Jean Dujardin in a straight drama, and not a comedy of one variety or another, there are a few bits and pieces that catch one's attention in no time at all. One is the curtness of the pacing in terms of plot development, contrasted with the weirdly lax pacing we see in small moments such as the camera watching characters walking (just walking) for longer than is necessary. There's also the somewhat clunky or even blockheaded dialogue and scene writing that could be copied and pasted to or from countless other films or TV shows about hard-headed cops. I would also argue that the direction, acting, sound design, and a fair bit of the writing at large are characterized by a distinct bluntness, and perhaps heavy-handedness. None of this is to say that 'Contre-enquête' (also known as 'Counter investigation') can't be enjoyable and worthwhile on its own merits, yet in the very least we'll need to look for something to help it stand apart from its brethren, and these factors may also serve to place upper limits on one's engagement.
I claim no familiarity with Lawrence Block's novel, and I can't say I specifically know writer-director Franck Mancuso. Maybe I'm too jaded or cynical to fully appreciate this, or maybe I'm just not on the same wavelength. One way or another, it strikes me that the narrative feels rather loosely threaded together; there are particular elements of the story as it presents, but the connections between them are weak, less than believable, and/or clearly the invention of fiction rather than a discrete reach for verisimilitude. I refer above all to the dual focus on not just father and policeman Richard but also convicted suspect Daniel, but even other facets like Richard's ongoing investigation seem troubled to me, and less than entirely cohesive. Yes, all these aspects do in fact tie together, and I'm certainly not saying that the movie as we see it is "bad," but it comes across as fitting together Just So, a matter of Movie Magic, and is less than wholly convincing. At the same time, it also comes off in some measure as a crime drama by numbers: all the parts are here on paper, but it lacks the passion, punch, or genuine excitement to make any of it count.
To be clear, I do actually like 'Contre-enquête.' I think it's broadly well made, with illustration of capable skill in all regards. I don't agree with all the choices that were made, but I recognize able craftsmanship in the cinematography, editing, acting, and production design, not to mention hair and makeup; Mancuso's direction is fine from a technical standpoint, and again, in general terms I think all the ingredients are present in the screenplay for a solid crime drama. The overall plot is excellent. Still, when one gets down to it the minutiae of the picture, and the details of the execution, feel rough, brusque, inchoate, ill-fitting, and/or the product of Cookie Cutter formulations. At best the feature is unremarkable; at its most deficient, we kind of have to just accept it at face value and leave it at that. I appreciate the work that everyone put into it, and I'd like to see more of what all involved are capable of. I also think this title would have quite benefited from even the slightest injection of vitality into the drama, for the evenhanded tone does it no favors; a more delicate hand in the writing, in the direction, and in other capacities would have helped the drama to land more smoothly, and be more impactful. Such as it is I think it's a decent enough way to spend eighty-five minutes if one comes across it, but this is nothing one needs to go out of their way to see. 'Contre-enquête' is okay, and sometimes that's all a movie needs to be, but that does mean it's hard to be especially enthusiastic about it.
