WATCH NOW
Chasing The French Connection with a crime drama sequel would be an incredibly bold move, and as we know, The French Connection was a one of a kind film. “The French Connection II” remains a case study when it comes to sequels that don’t live up to the hype. In the sequel, do not expect much from returning stars Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey or even the talented director John Frankenheimer. “The French Connection II” is nothing but a lackluster attempt that fails to capture the essence of its predecessor. Like daring filmmakers, “The Connection,” manages to complete the seemingly impossible task. While some may feel that it pales in comparison, ‘The Connection’ manages to stand out as sinfully entertaining cinema and an above average film that’ll add a refreshing taste to the genre.
The film gives a European twist to the “French Connection” story by narrating the infamous tale revolving around a heroin smuggling ring and a police officer set to demolish them in their territory of Marseilles. The cop is Pierre Michel (Jean Dujardin), a devoted magistrate who has lived through the struggles of addiction as a child protective services officer, and a gambling addict, which taught him the horrific reality of drugs. His primary objective is the man running the operation, Gatean “Tany” Zampa (Gilles Lellouche), who has been conducting the massive shipping of heroin to America. A vicious cat and mouse game develops between the two one more violent than the other with the sole objective of defeating the other.
As they go on with their work, we start learning more about the two men and what keeps them going. For instance, Pierre happens to be as straight-edge of a cop as one could hope for, but his work-centric attitude is detrimental towards the wellbeing of his personal life, which has led him to have a strained relationship with his wife (Celine Sallette). Tany, too, has his share of domestic troubles, which primarily consists of a money sink of a nightclub he opened up as an emporium to please his wife. Curiously, Tany does not come off as a typical drug lord, but rather, an anachronistic industrialist that is glued to an eternal schedule of shipping dates, profit margins, and workforce issues that need urgent attention—his way of handling an associate that had a cocaine addiction problem was certainly different. While they are in similar circumstances, they find themselves in an environment in which there is only room for one victor, and both go to great lengths to ensure that they are the ones that come out on top.
The original “The French Connection” is still known for its astounding action sequences and chase scenes. It is certainly in the top rankings for action car chases in movies. Director Cedric Jimenez judiciously does not try to model his own movie off of his predecessors work. He goes for a more rounded approach and works his movie off of case details and the individuals involved, which turns the film closer to a David Fincher movie rather than a typical thriller with the usual explosions and violence. Jimenez’s goal is not hard to discern, and he, along with co writer Audrey Diwan, manage to do so seamlessly. His attempt to capture the mid Seventies goes into further success too, this time bypassing outdated fashion choices that seem so apparent in other movies. Everything Jimenez did was done without a stereotypical 70s soundtrack or clothes. A clever visual style of the period crime dramas did the trick. (Many might argue that the 135 minutes were a little stretched out, with too many montages capturing the film’s storyline.)
The casting of Dujardin most famous for starring in “The Artist” as the throwing flailing down actor to an Oscar winning role does slightly alienate some viewers, however, his appeal does seem bizarre in the first few scenes.
While he becomes increasingly obsessed with catching Tany, the smooth exterior of his character transforms into a sweaty raw nerve, which he portrays with tremendous mastery. Lellouche, on the other hand, is equally gripping. He transforms the stereotype of a ruthless crime lord into a character the audience can empathize with, capturing them in his never-ending web of crimes. Apart from these two, there’s also a number of supporting actors that play a vital role in establishing the time and overall mood of the film.
Once more, ‘The Connection,’ will not supersede ‘The French Connection’, within the hearts of movie lovers anytime soon. However, fans of ‘The French Connection’ will enjoy the film and the rest of viewers will appreciate this well crafted crime drama.
To watch more movies like The connection (2015) visit 123Movies.
Also Watch for more movies like: Apocalypse (2007)
