Chrysalis (2007/I)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Julien Leclercq

Writers:

Julien Leclercq (scenario and dialogue) and
Franck Philippon (scenario and dialogue) ...

Release Date:

31 October 2007 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

In the near future Paris, a cop is searching for his wife's killer. The trail leads him to a high tech medical clinic where everything is not what it seems. |

Plot Keywords:

Medical | Future | 2020s | Mind Control | Bare Chested Male Bondage

Cast

Albert Dupontel	...	David Hoffmann
Marie Guillard	...	Marie Becker
Marthe Keller	...	Professeur Brügen
Mélanie Thierry	...	Manon Brügen
Claude Perron	...	Miller
Alain Figlarz	...	Dimitri Nicolov / Danis Nicolov
Smadi Wolfman	...	Sarah
Patrick Bauchau	...	Charles Becker
Guy Lecluyse	...	Kovacs
Cyril Lecomte	...	Le légiste
Francis Renaud	...	Yuri
Manon Chevallier	...	Clémence
Estelle Lefébure	...	Clara
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mika Cotillon	...	Malik
Franck Goumah	...	Agent DST 2
Patrick Hamel	...	Jacques
Virginie Jaspart	...	Aide soignante
Andy King	...	Gianni
Baptiste Leclercq	...	Fumeur de drogue
Sebastien Libessart	...	Infirmier
Rémy Roubakha
Claudia Tagbo	...	Infirmiere
Aline Tcheou	...	Infirmiere chinoise
Olivier Vergès	...	Professeur Brügen's Assistant
Alex Waltz	...	Agent DST 1

Also Known As:

Avatar (France) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min | Canada:91 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:18A | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | France:-12 | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Gaumont

Movie Connections:

References A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Languid, blue-tinged Sci-fi Crime thriller

This movie comes out of France, with French sensibilities, a steady camera style and some solid emotional acting. The story is set a little bit in the future with some future tech embedded into the details of the visuals in such a way that the future tech is just there, utilized and passed on without remarks or fanfare.

Exactly WHAT the crime is can be somewhat obscure and will take some replaying of the dialogue to piece together, but the story has it's own cohesive logic. Why the director made everything BLUE, I don't understand, though I'll ride with it. But be sure that this future is NOT dystopian-- it's just. . .Blue.

If you watch it in English, you will notice times when the lips and the dialogue don't quite synch and that can be annoying, although I wager that French speaking viewers will have a more rewarding time of it. Still. . .This movie is thoughtful and different. And thank GOD there's no Shaky Camera here. Also the usual Hollywood Non-Stop Running, Car-chase, Helicopter Raging Gun-battles are missing here-- again because of the different sensibilities. But that makes you pay more attention to the Story about the Crime.

Oddly enough, I rate this Sci-Fi movie as "Girlfriend Friendly" for a quiet Saturday Night. Have some Cheesesteaks and Fries ready to go with it.