David O'ConnellLe tueur (The Killer)
October 23rd 2009 03:31
Cedric Anger’s feature debut, Le Tueur (2007), is a leisurely yet captivating drama about the unlikely compromise between the hunter and the hunted. When we first meet Parisian financial advisor, Leo Zimmerman (Gilbert Melki), he’s edgy, wound tight, displaying all the classic symptoms of paranoia. Is a competitor trying to wipe him out? Or perhaps an aggrieved former client who lost his fortune because of Leo’s advice?
When Dimitri Kopas (Gregoire Colin) turns up for an appointment, Leo instantly senses something different about this man; he’s later unnerved when Kopas shows his face again soon after, blatantly shadowing him, confirming his direst suspicions. Rather than fend off dark speculations with reasoning he doesn’t really believe in, he takes the bull by the horns and confronts his tail with a desperate, ludicrous offer - effectively a plea for a compassionate stay of proceedings.
Anger’s film, which he also wrote, is a superbly weighted piece of storytelling. It relies on the strength of its characters and despite idling in low-key mode throughout, somehow never relinquishes the sense of fascination it evokes. It becomes apparent that the motivations of both men are murkier than first thought, fortifying interest as their strangely symbiotic bond takes hold.
Kopas is obviously experienced at dispatching his targets without blinking; so why does he hesitate at the first sign of Leo’s audacity? No doubt he’s intrigued by the proposal but a minor suspension of disbelief is required to accept his subsequent postponement of the execution.
Anger has no problem conveying the killer's unscrupulous, hardened exterior; he's clearly carnivorous, canny and ruthless, yet hidden depths are revealed incrementally; through lonely reveries in the hotel room provided by his employer or cruising the streets overflowing with couples; the seemingly chance meeting with a woman in a bar, Stella (Melanie Laurent) who slakes his thirst for something more tangible in his roaming, fugitive existence.
Leo’s needs time to put his affairs in order, ensuring his daughter benefits from his legacy; he even takes Kopas on a night cruise as a means of swaying him as they follow his cheating wife (Sophie Cattani) on her latest tryst with his business partner. He too is more complex than first impressions would indicate and Melki does a fine job of keeping his mysterious side intact.
A wonderfully executed scene where Kopas follows Leo on foot through a labyrinthine mall manages to be both riveting and voyeuristic; it’s Anger’s purist cinematic set-piece and a standout moment, but there’s nothing clumsy or misjudged in the rest of this tight, understated drama. It’s the kind of film that gets under your skin, and Gregoire Hetzel’s subtly melodic, almost elegiac, music works like a salve in treating dialogue-free sequences with its melancholy presence.
Of course there are a couple of surprising twists reserved for the third act, leading to a poetic, reassuring resolution, one befitting this small gem. And there’s a nasty little ironic coda thrown in for good measure too.
Check out the trailer here.
When Dimitri Kopas (Gregoire Colin) turns up for an appointment, Leo instantly senses something different about this man; he’s later unnerved when Kopas shows his face again soon after, blatantly shadowing him, confirming his direst suspicions. Rather than fend off dark speculations with reasoning he doesn’t really believe in, he takes the bull by the horns and confronts his tail with a desperate, ludicrous offer - effectively a plea for a compassionate stay of proceedings.
Anger’s film, which he also wrote, is a superbly weighted piece of storytelling. It relies on the strength of its characters and despite idling in low-key mode throughout, somehow never relinquishes the sense of fascination it evokes. It becomes apparent that the motivations of both men are murkier than first thought, fortifying interest as their strangely symbiotic bond takes hold.
Kopas is obviously experienced at dispatching his targets without blinking; so why does he hesitate at the first sign of Leo’s audacity? No doubt he’s intrigued by the proposal but a minor suspension of disbelief is required to accept his subsequent postponement of the execution.
Leo (Gilbert Melki) pleads his case
Anger has no problem conveying the killer's unscrupulous, hardened exterior; he's clearly carnivorous, canny and ruthless, yet hidden depths are revealed incrementally; through lonely reveries in the hotel room provided by his employer or cruising the streets overflowing with couples; the seemingly chance meeting with a woman in a bar, Stella (Melanie Laurent) who slakes his thirst for something more tangible in his roaming, fugitive existence.
Leo’s needs time to put his affairs in order, ensuring his daughter benefits from his legacy; he even takes Kopas on a night cruise as a means of swaying him as they follow his cheating wife (Sophie Cattani) on her latest tryst with his business partner. He too is more complex than first impressions would indicate and Melki does a fine job of keeping his mysterious side intact.
Gregoire Colin as Kopas, the killer
A wonderfully executed scene where Kopas follows Leo on foot through a labyrinthine mall manages to be both riveting and voyeuristic; it’s Anger’s purist cinematic set-piece and a standout moment, but there’s nothing clumsy or misjudged in the rest of this tight, understated drama. It’s the kind of film that gets under your skin, and Gregoire Hetzel’s subtly melodic, almost elegiac, music works like a salve in treating dialogue-free sequences with its melancholy presence.
Of course there are a couple of surprising twists reserved for the third act, leading to a poetic, reassuring resolution, one befitting this small gem. And there’s a nasty little ironic coda thrown in for good measure too.
Check out the trailer here.
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Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by David O'Connell
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