Le concile de pierre (2006)

Director:

Guillaume Nicloux

Writers:

Stéphane Cabel (writer)
Jean-Christophe Grangé (novel)

Release Date:

15 November 2006 (Belgium)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

In France, the single translator Diane Siprien adopts an Asian baby named Liu-San in a foundation directed by Sybille Weber...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Mongolia | Young Boy | Scientist | Beautiful Woman

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Monica Bellucci	...	Laura Siprien
Catherine Deneuve	...	Sybille Weber
Moritz Bleibtreu	...	Serguei Makov
Sami Bouajila	...	Lucas
Elsa Zylberstein	...	Clarisse
Nicolas Thau	...	Liu-San
Lorenzo Balducci	...	L'inspecteur Frank Neves
Nicolas Jouhet	...	L'inspecteur Langlois
Peter Bonke	...	Le docteur Vonkel
Tubtchine Bayaertu	...	Barsak Thalik
Laurent Grévill	...	Daguerre
Jerzy Rogulski	...	Le professeur Bruner
Yoshi Oida	...	Kamal
Nikolai Boldaev	...	Ayrag (as Nicolaï Boldaev)
Simona Maicanescu	...	La directrice de l'orphelinat

Also Known As:

Der steinerne Kreis (Germany) (TV title)
Il concilio di pietra (Italy) (literal title)
L'eletto (Italy)
Liu San - Wächter des Lebens (Germany) (DVD title)
The Stone Council (International: English title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

France | Italy | Germany

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:13 | Germany:16 | Australia:MA | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Galerie De Paléontologie Et D'Anatomie Comparée Du Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle - 2 Rue Buffon, Paris 5, Paris, France

Company:

UGC YM

not too bad for a Grangé adaptation.

first, i'm not sure those who commented previously (and badly) on this film have seen other Jean-Christophe Grangé's adaptations - if you had, you'd admit LE CONCILE DE PIERRE is by far the best. Grangé's books - besides sucking - are hard to adapt, caus way too dense and not cinematographic; that's why directors/writers usually take lots of liberties w/th the storyline, turning it into a big farce w/th a grandguignolesque denouement (remember LES RIVIERES POURPRES and L'EMPIRE DES LOUPS?). knowing that, i expected the worse, but was pleasantly surprised. Guillaume Nicloux managed to keep his own distinctive style, creating a sticky, haunting atmosphere. now about Monica Bellucci... she's good, period. yes, she moans, cries, looks sad/lost, but damn, she's credible. it's totally refreshing to see her in a different role. as for Catherine Deneuve's being over the top, i never thought she was that much of a good actress, so no comment. rest of the cast was OK, and it's nice to see Moritz Bleibtreu in a french film.

so basically don't expect too much from this movie and (maybe) you'll be pleasantly surprised.