This story, inspired by actual events that occurred in Marseilles, has already been told in the early eighties: LE JUGE, starring Jacques Perrin, as the lead character.
Well, this one is more ambitious, starring Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lelouche and Benoit Magimel as a supporting character. Those three are great figures of the new french crime movie industry. This tale takes place in Marseilles, South of France, during the mid seventies, and describes the dog fight, the terrific struggle between a hard boiled, ruthless, untouchable judge against a no less ambitious, greedy, smart and fierce drug ring leader. Jean Dujardin plays the judge and Gilles Lelouche his Némésis. The sequence between the two of them is outstanding, although it never occurred in real life. Curiously, in this movie, audiences may feel empathy for the judge but for the gangster as well. No real hero or true villain here. And I loved another gripping scene, the one with Dujardin in a phone booth, begging his wife - the beautiful Celine Salette - to come back to him. This scene was improvised by Dujardin.
Well, this one is more ambitious, starring Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lelouche and Benoit Magimel as a supporting character. Those three are great figures of the new french crime movie industry. This tale takes place in Marseilles, South of France, during the mid seventies, and describes the dog fight, the terrific struggle between a hard boiled, ruthless, untouchable judge against a no less ambitious, greedy, smart and fierce drug ring leader. Jean Dujardin plays the judge and Gilles Lelouche his Némésis. The sequence between the two of them is outstanding, although it never occurred in real life. Curiously, in this movie, audiences may feel empathy for the judge but for the gangster as well. No real hero or true villain here. And I loved another gripping scene, the one with Dujardin in a phone booth, begging his wife - the beautiful Celine Salette - to come back to him. This scene was improvised by Dujardin.