« « Les anges de l’apocalypse » : no inspirational call. (1/3) | HomePage | « Les anges de l’apocalypse » : one, two... three ? (3/3) »
Jun 13, 2008
« Les anges de l’apocalypse » : beyond bad and worse. (2/3)
« Les anges de l’apocalypse » is marketed as a sequel to « Les rivières pourpres » for all too clear reasons, but the trilogy concept did not appeal to everybody : Mathieu Kassovitz and co-lead Vincent Cassel passed on it ; they will live not to regret it.
A different writer, a different director, a different co-lead. What remains of the original ? « Commissaire » Niemans, again played by Jean Reno. How could the actor not have returned to the part after Luc Besson became involved in the project ? What did Jean Reno’s career look like before « Le grand bleu » ?
Calling « Les rivières pourpres II, les anges de l’apocalypse » a bad film is such an understatement that it could pass for a lie.
How bad the movie is shall not fail to amaze even the most thick-skinned viewer. « Les anges de l’apocalypse » is so bad it forces you to update your definition of a bad film.
You thought « Les enfants du marais » was bad, then watched « L’équipier », then saw « 36, quai des Orfèvres ». And now comes « Les anges de l’apocalypse » and your opinion of the former films is suddenly upgraded to stupefying heights : you consider apologising for your rash criticisms and would gladly shower stars upon them.
How low can French cinema free fall ?
« Les anges de l’apocalypse » is about very little and a little of everything. According to the on-screen credits, the film is no longer « based on » Jean-Christophe Grangé’s novel, but « inspired » by it.
Jean-Christophe Grangé’s « Les rivières pourpres » was an effective piece of writing by pulp fiction standards, Luc Besson’s script is a derivative and overpopulated stew, in which he overcooks the novel’s main character and dark aesthetics, « Da Vinci Code » and « Indiana Jones » reminiscences, a hint of « The name of the rose », borrows action scenes from his own productions (the « Taxi » trilogy, « Yamasaki ») for the action scenes, and spices his melting pot with a stale neo-Nazi plot.
« Les anges de l’apocalypse » is a second hand movie assembled from disparate parts stolen in a junk yard of sometimes beautiful vehicles.
Though also credited to Besson, the dialogues are strictly public domain : exhausted veterans from countless movies and « cafés ».
« Les anges de l’apocalypse » negatively proves no film can be built without the cornerstone of a script : there exist great movies without great scripts, but very few passable ones with no story at all.
Even action scenes fall flat, and the script, not Olivier Dahan’s direction, is to be blamed : how can you thrill a viewer who does not give a damn about what is happening on screen ?
The actors are left as impotent as the director : they have nothing to work on, their characters’ only recognisable feature is their name.
08:05 Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this