This French drama opens with the body of Georges Figon, a former crook, being discovered in a Paris apartment. It turns out Figon is to be our narrator despite his death. He tells how his death will be declared a suicide and of his part in the disappearance of Moroccan dissident Ben Barka. The action then jumps back a year and we are shown how Figon had been recruited by people saying they wanted to make a film about colonialism and that is to feature Barka as an adviser. They go on to recruit an established director and invite Barka to meet them in Paris; here he is arrested and never seen again.
When I sat down to watch this I didn't realise it was inspired by real events; this didn't affect my enjoyment of the film though. It is an effective thriller that just becomes more interesting when one learns it is based on a real mystery. The opening immediately grabbed my attention and the late Georges Figon made a fine narrator. His commentary added a touch of film noir to proceedings as well as occasional humour. The film has a real feel of the era with a slight, but not excessive, graininess and slightly faded colours reminiscent of films make in the sixties. The use of some archive footage is effective and reminds viewers of the historical context of events. The cast is solid; most notably Charles Berling and Simon Abkarian who play Figon and Barka respectively. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to anybody wanting a solid drama set in an historical context... after watching I felt both entertained and educated.
These comments are based on watching the film in French with English subtitles.
When I sat down to watch this I didn't realise it was inspired by real events; this didn't affect my enjoyment of the film though. It is an effective thriller that just becomes more interesting when one learns it is based on a real mystery. The opening immediately grabbed my attention and the late Georges Figon made a fine narrator. His commentary added a touch of film noir to proceedings as well as occasional humour. The film has a real feel of the era with a slight, but not excessive, graininess and slightly faded colours reminiscent of films make in the sixties. The use of some archive footage is effective and reminds viewers of the historical context of events. The cast is solid; most notably Charles Berling and Simon Abkarian who play Figon and Barka respectively. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to anybody wanting a solid drama set in an historical context... after watching I felt both entertained and educated.
These comments are based on watching the film in French with English subtitles.