NateWatchesCoolMovies There's a serial killer loose in a small mountain town located in rural France, and who better to track them down than the country's two most prolific film actors (or the ones with better physiques than Gerard Depardieu anyway), Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel. Reno is the seasoned, slightly eccentric Parisian detective, called in to assist and step on the toes of local investigator Cassel, who is too hot headed to realize he could use the help. A body has washed up in a nearby river, mutilated to an unspeakable degree in gruesomely specific ways (think Sev7n on ice). The town just happens to be solely inhabited by the creepy residents of a nearby university that is notorious for incestuous classism and rumours of ties to the occult. You can imagine where this is heading, and it's fun watching Reno and Cassel follow the bloodstained breadcrumb trail towards increasingly grisly secrets that would test even David Fincher's gag reflex. Genetic research, mysterious twins (both played by Nadia Fares), and multiple corpses are a few of the hurdles our two heroes encounter. It's delightfully convoluted, in the best way possible. Some people say that less is more, but I find that makes way for laziness and complacency, two attributes you don't want to find in the horror/thriller genre. I'd rather a film throw every little brainstorm and margin doodle into the mix, even if it doesn't all add up, than present a barely filled in canvas that begs for more. The real stunner with this one is a near Bond- esque climax set on a giant glacier overlooking the valley below, full of desperate violence and giddy exposition. You'll need a strong stomach for the dark places this one ventures to, but it will reward you with crisp cinematography and lurid, blood soaked intrigue. Brutal stuff though.

24 hour party pizza Over the top thriller with a detective duo on the heels of a serial killer, one a legendary sleuth and the other, a hot blooded rule breaker. Bizarre and gruesome murders high in a glacial mountain community uncover a eugenics conspiracy with a late twist reveal that doesn't feel earned, but typical for the genre. Understated performances by Reno and a handsome Vincent Cassel. Mention must be made of the out of left field fight scene between Cassel and some skinheads, which plays out like a video game complete with ridiculous sound effects. Stakes never feel as high as they should be, but otherwise it's an enjoyable way to pass the time.

thisissubtitledmovies The Crimson Rivers (Les Rivières Pourpres), based on the best selling French novel of the same name by Jean-Christophe Grangé (who also co-wrote the screenplay) is an unabashed attempt to make a French Hollywood-style thriller. Another problem is that for all the interesting ideas and larger conspiracies alluded to, the film doesn't deliver with its grand finale - a cop-out that leaves the viewer feeling short changed. The Crimson Rivers is highly watchable as a popcorn police thriller. It's just such a pity that the film is let down by its final third after producing an initially compelling plot line. CSA

Enchorde Recap: A calm and remote, but at the same time, secluded and elitist, college in the alps is shaken by a hideous murder. The head librarian is mutilated and left dead, hanging over 60 meter up a steep cliff. To aid the local police Pierre Niemans is sent from Paris. He is a legend among the officers and has specialized in odd murders. However, here I fumbles in the dark. And everything seem to come to a point when Max Kerkerian, a lieutenant in a nearby town, suddenly looks for the same suspect in connection to accident which killed a little girl over 20 years ago.Comments: A good enough thriller that was able to keep interest all the way, despite being a little too predictable in the end. Meant to be a real hunt in the dark, too much of the solution surfaces a little too early to give this thriller a real edge.Luckily the story is driven by characters played by quality actors, Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel. Both are underrated and a little lost to the big world in French cinema. It's unfortunate because both are really good. Jean Reno has had his share of Hollywood fame but Cassel has mostly been given parts as the bad guy outside France. A real pity, because he has shown that he handles all aspects of acting, and he does here again. Whatever fault this movie has, it is not because it is lacking in its lead actors.And there is not much lacking in the story either. It is a good thriller with its full share of suspense and a little adventure. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, it doesn't really hold all the way through. But it was good fun to watch it.This is a movie fully able to compare with movies from England and North America and to disregard it because its origin is a mistake. And most actors are fluent in English and has dubbed their own voices. However, if you have a choice, my recommendation would to be the French audio and English subtitles. Then you will not get the annoying fact of the dialog being out of sync with the actors lips.7/10