Diamant 13 (Depardieu/Argento)

[pro-bassoonist]

French distributors TF1 are set to release Gilles Béhat's Diamant 13 a.k.a Diamond 13 on August 6 in Gallic territories. With Asia Argento, Gerard Depardieu, and Olivier Marchal (MR 73).

Official site and trailer:
http://www.diamant13-lefilm.mk2.com/

Variety:

A cartoonishly noir policer that's as slow and lumbering as its overweight protag, "Diamond 13" features Gerard Depardieu as a washed-up, alcoholic lawman who's both corrupted and incorruptible, taking on an endless supply of low-lifes from Central Casting. Co-production, shot in Belgium, should see some biz in Francophone territories. Otherwise, "Diamond" will only last forever on Eurotube networks.

Adapted from cop-cum-novelist/screenwriter Hughes Pagan's 1994 crime saga, action takes place in a Northern European city (actually a combo of Antwerp, Bruges and Brussels) where it's always raining, always night, and garbage, in both material and human form, seems to be everywhere. After a punchy credit sequence (straight out of "Seven") revealing a deal gone bad involving Matt (Depardieu) and crooked Narc buddy Franck (Olivier Marchal), pacing stumbles with a series of overwrought vignettes featuring almost every police drama cliche. Between times is an elusive plot involving Franck's shady criminal dealings, a stockpile of heroin and cash, a notorious black book containing the evil deeds of the town's elite, and a viperous police official (Asia Argento, struggling with the French dialogue). Depardieu's sleepy performance borders on camp and lensing overdoes the chiaroscuro lighting.

Camera (color, widescreen), Bernard Malaisy; editor, Thierry Faber; music, Frederic Vercheval; production designer, Frederic Astich-Barre; costume designers, Dominique Combelles, Magdalena Labuz. Reviewed at UGC Cine Cite Les Halles 2, Paris, Jan. 21, 2009. French dialogue. Running time: 102 MIN.

Pro-B