Arsène Lupin

[pro-bassoonist]

Set to be released on August 14th.

Based on Maurica LeBlanc's much-adapted series of French novels about a gentleman crook, this convoluted period romp/bodice-buster is a potboiler that steams so fulsomely it ends up way, way overcooked. Granted, it looks suave. The Robin Hood-ish hero, Arsene Lupin (Romain Duris), is a pair of cheekbones on legs who models more disguises in 20 minutes than Jennifer Garner does in a whole series of Alias.

Lupin winds up in above his neck when he gets embroiled in a royalist conspiracy involving treasure-hunting, assassination and a passionate affair made distinctly steamy by a vampish Kristin Scott Thomas. On top of this anachronistic set-up, helmer Jean-Paul Salome adds some heaped tablespoons of Matrix-ish kick boxing mischief and a plot so fast and foolish you almost don't notice how ridiculous it all is. Almost, mind.

Pro-B

[V2David]

Pro-B, any confirmation on the region code (is this Region-A friendly?) I am assuming there is no English subs...

[V2David]

I received this disc and it is definitely Region-B locked*. However, I WAS able able to get this to play on my Region-A PS3... Most extras on the Blu-ray are PAL encoded, so they wouldn't play. Title is not English friendly as there are no English subs.

[pro-bassoonist]

Thank you for the info David.

Pro-B

[BluBonnet]

For anyone in the US who seeks an English-friendly version of this, it's now available in the iTunes store: https://itunes.apple.com/US/movie/id1417165222