Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Mjeteconer Just perfect...

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Ava-Grace Willis Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

gridoon2018 Director Régis Wargnier gained international fame (and a somewhat controversial Best Foreign Film Oscar) in 1992 for "Indochine", but 15 years later he made what can best be described as a b-movie that in most countries went (and deservedly so) straight to DVD. It's not unwatchable, but it is mediocre. The story lacks propulsion for so long (the film runs nearly two full hours) that when the plot finally starts twisting and turning, it's hard to summon much interest. I must admit that it took me two different sittings to complete the viewing. The cast is good (this was Michel Serrault's last film), although "Indochine"'s star Linh Dan Pham has only a decorative role here. ** out of 4.

udar55 Parisians wake one morning to find black 4s painted on their doors. Later, a town crier (those still exist?) in Paris receives cryptic messages about the return of The Plague and, sure enough, people start dying the blackest of deaths. It is up to Commissar Adamsberg (José Garcia) to find out just what is going on. This is in the same mold as the CRIMSON RIVERS films and starts off great. But when the full mystery is finally revealed an hour in, you will be pleading for the complexity of a SCOOBY DOO episode. Seriously, the last 10 minutes actually features the killer basically saying, "And I would have gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for you..." Director Regis Wargnier (INDOCHINE) handles the multitude of characters well and there is a thrilling rooftop chase, but the film's reason for existing is a joke. The film adapts a novel by Fred Vargas, the pseudonym for Frédérique Audoin- Rouzea. Apparently Adamsberg is a recurring character in her stories and, just from what I have read briefly online, the guy is a bit more interesting that the lonely cop sketched here.

dark_coffee There are tons of movies based on books. Some are good, some are fine, and some are bad. As someone who read most of Fred Vargas's novels, I was quite disappointed by this movie adaptation of "Pars vite et reviens tard". There are too many plot and character changes, but, most importantly, the movie fails to seize the spirit of the novel - which effectively turns it in a bland and unoriginal police thriller.At its core, "Pars vite et reviens tard" (translated as "Have mercy on us all" in English) is a not-so-traditional police thriller in which we follow Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg as he tries to catch a mysterious murderer who makes it seem as if the plague kills his victims. The general storyline is followed in the movie, but most of the finer points have been modified; arguably to make the story more accessible to people who haven't read the book. Indeed, there are lots of details in the book and it would be impossible to include everything. Still, they made some very odd changes that somewhat disturbs the flow and character development.In the same line of thought, the casting came in as a surprise. The much missed Michel Serrault delivers erudite Decambrais pretty well, but others are blatantly different (both in physical appearance and personality) than their book counterparts (Danglard, Adamsberg's sidekick, was particularly botched in my opinion: even calling him a foil is giving him too much credit). For the most part, I found the acting to be generally bland and uninspiring.Of course, it's impossible for a movie to be made as a carbon copy of a book (and then, such a thing could turn out bad). Minor edits to the plot line and the look of the actors are things that can be forgiven, at least up to a certain point. What really kills the movie in my opinion is how it turns the unique style of Vargas's writing in a run-of-the-mill thriller. Before being about a police officer who runs after a bad guy, Vargas's novels are about the psychological depth of her characters, particularly Adamsberg. In the movie, Adamsberg is a bland cop whose distinguishing feature is his need of a woman at night to be able to make progress in the case.Overall, "Pars vite et reviens tard" is a disappointing movie for those who read the book. For others, it could pass as a decent police thriller, although the average acting and flow issues make it less interesting. I would warn those people though not to judge Vargas's novels on this adaptation, as it would be a big mistake.

souchong French novelist Fred Vargas (female) is adapted for film here.In this case, the flaws of the film are a reflection of the film maker rather than the source material.The lead playing Adamsberg is a fine actor, but miscast here. Not enough ragged edges to do justice to the character in the novel. Camille is slighted in the script, and cast as an Asian woman -- not at all how I pictured her.The cast of potential villains works well, as do most the supporting characters. The action direction is merely competent, not masterful.Vargas's books are great. Look them up if you can.