Counter Investigation (2007) User Reviews

Sharp crime flick

[JoaoPovoaMarinheiro · 8/10 · 3 November 2009]

First of all, during the last years France is proving to be one of the most interesting 'creators' of front-line quality crime and thriller films. We had successful movies such as 'De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté', '36 Quai des Orfèvres' or most recently 'L'ennemi public nº1' and how can we forget 'Ne le dis à personne'.

The question is, what happened to this one?

It has to be one of the most interesting french movies that I have ever seen and how come I've never heard of it in foreign lands (except France of course)? Not only you have here a genius and meticulous plot, with a final twist that simply blows one away, but also solid performances (Jean Dujardin is excellent as the tough Richard Malinowski) and good directing (Franck Mancuso is a pleasant surprise). It's a short, sharp and accurate crime flick with entertainment guaranteed. It hasn't car chases, gun shooting or explosions, but just mind tricks that fit in perfectly.

This is one of those cases that if it had a different production, it would have make it BIG TIME. And that's a real shame because this little piece of french tape is a lesson of good film-making and the fact that it didn't get much of recognition and visibility left it forgotten.

However, you, the reader, don't forget it and if you have the chance, just watch it because it is 75 minutes of sharp crime flick - 8/10.

Very-well made and good suspense, one to watch...

[Happy_Evil_Dude · 8/10 · 4 August 2008]

Through persistent correspondence over the course of three years and new elements in his possession, police captain Malinowski starts to doubt the man convicted for his 10 year old daughter's rape and murder is actually guilty and starts a counter-investigation on his own.

Written and directed by ex-cop Franck Mancuso (also co-writer of the great 36 Quai Des Orfèvres), Contre-Enquête is a very good, well-made film, certainly the best French crime film of 2007 out of those I've seen so far (which include Le Deuxième Soufflé, Chrysalis and ex-top spot holder Pars Vite Et Reviens Tard). So-hot-right-now Jean Dujardin is very good in his first truly serious role I've seen, and the rest of the cast do a good job as well, especially Laurent Lucas as Daniel Eckmann, the convict. The script, based on a short story by Lawrence Block (screenwriter of Wong Kar-Wai's English-language effort My Blueberry Nights) is greatly written and keeps the suspense going and the viewer wondering until the very end. Good crime thriller, check it out if you have the chance.

Child's Play

[writers_reign · 8/10 · 10 April 2007]

One thing you can be sure of with Frank Mancuso is authenticity. An ex-cop himself, he co-wrote 36 Quai des Orfevres with another ex-cop, Olivier Marchal (who also directed) and based it on incidents in his own time on the force. This time around he has adapted an American novel by Robert Bloch but his movie is no worse for that. It's arguably more psychological thriller than pure policier but manages to retain its grip throughout. In a nutshell a cop's young daughter is killed and a suspect arrested, tried and imprisoned and this, as they say, is where the story really starts; with the prisoner - Monty Clift lookalike Laurent Lucas - initiating a correspondence from his cell with the father of the murdered girl, a correspondence he chooses to keep secret from his wife. Justice, albeit rough justice, prevails in the end but as always in life nobody really wins. Definitely worth seeing.

Frame-up

[dbdumonteil · 5 January 2011]

Having watched for years Jean Dujardin in his hilarious sitcom "Un Gars Une Fille" ,I was wondering how he would manage in a dramatic story.He is quite convincing ,as is Laurent Lucas in a shady role.The story is ,except for the debatable ending,close to the famous Boileau-Narcejac frame-ups with a dash of Patricia Highsmith thrown in for good measure ,but the characters lack in-depth psychology.The movie is too short and the part of Daniel is underwritten.The scene when Dujardin arrives on the scene of the crime shows the influence of Clint Eastwood's "Mystic river" .All in all,this is a rather good thriller,which could have been really great.The short nightmare scene ("I can't ,dad,I'm dead") is effective.

Flawed, but overall satisfying!

[benoitlelievre · 7/10 · 28 October 2008]

Contre-Enquete is the prime example of a movie that is not really well directed, but that is carried on by his actors. If you like your direction tight and extensive, this is not a movie for you.

You seldom feel rushed into the action, the scenes are too short and everything happens in the same time, which makes it difficult to get attached to the characters. In its first twenty minutes, the movie out pours a lot of emotional scenes that comes out as being cheesy because...well the movie is just starting! Nobody really cares about the characters yet.

But there is all the bad I have to say. The odyssey of a broken down father to find the true murderer of his daughter is a gripping tale that has Jean Dujardin and Laurent Lucas as their shining stars. Their play is subtle, tight and leaves the viewer in a total state of confusion towards the potential ending of the movie.

It could have been a landslide due to its predictability and its sloppiness, but Dujardin and Lucas made this an overall rather enjoying experience.

Excellent acting

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 4 October 2016]

I was very impressed with the acting in 2007's Counter Investigation," a French film directed by Franck Mancuso, who also co-wrote the script.

Jean Dujardin gives a moving and strong performance as Richard Malinowski, a police detective whose young daughter is raped and murdered. A man, Daniel Eckmann (Laurent Lucas) is arrested but begins to write to Richard, claiming to be innocent. Upon investigation, Richard discovers that a serial killer of young children was in the vicinity at the time his child was killed.

The story is good but I had it figured out right away, which sort of spoiled it for me. And my big problem was Malinowski leaving his daughter home alone. It's perhaps because I live in the U.S. and have seen too many true crime shows, but I was surprised when he did it.

Laurent Lucas is handsome and underplayed his role as the imprisoned man. He does a wonderful job. He and Dujardin had the largest roles, but everyone was convincing. Agnes Blanchot, Jacques Frantz, Jean- François Garreaud, and Jean-Pierre Cassel rounded out a forceful cast.

What was so right-on about the main characters is that one never knew what either one was thinking or was going to do next.

Recommended.

one of the best dramas and investigative thrillers of all time in French Movies.

[sudheeshthulaseedharan · 6/10 · 28 November 2020]

Released in 2007, the French film is one of the best dramas and investigative thrillers of all time.

Jean Dujardin's character Richard will be seen on the screen in this film which tells the story with emphasis on the emotions of the characters as well as the quests. Laurent Lucas, who came as Daniel to remind us of many important villains, also performed well.

Emily, the ten-year-old daughter of Police Inspector Richard Malinowski, is brutally murdered. Since the victim was the daughter of a police officer, his colleagues attached great importance to finding the culprit immediately.

Defendant Daniel Ekman is in prison. But then he keeps writing letters to Richard saying that he was not the one who did that cruel thing.

The film tells the story of Richard's parallel investigation to find out if Daniel is the real culprit and to find out who caused his Emily's death.

Many of the films that have stories about the murders of loved ones and their endings end in the same direction as revenge. The success of such films often depends on how much revenge the audience can contain.

I found this film to be a good fit. An unexpected climax enjoyed well.

Guilty

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 30 November 2011]

Richard Malinowsky, a police officer, is a man that is always there for his friends. Because of being so accommodating, he has to leave his young daughter waiting as he is called by one of those people in need. The girl, Emilie, decides to go out on her bicycle. As the father returns to go out with her, he finds she has been viciously killed in an isolated part of a park.

The police investigation, which Richard is part of, finds a man, Daniel Eckman, that fits the description of the killer. Although the evidence is circumstantial, the jury that tries him decides to send him to jail. Eckman, like many prisoners serving time, attract a following of admirers. Daniel begins corresponding with Christine Carlier, who will be willing to get him free.

At the same time, Daniel Eckman starts writing to Malinowsky. In his letters he tries to redeem himself to the point that the detective himself, grieving for his dead daughter appears to have doubts of having sent an innocent man to pay for a crime he did not commit. When his physician's wife, Claire, discovers what Richard has been doing, behind her back, it proves too much for her to endure. She walks out on him.

As a new trial is ordered based on Malinowsky's and Christine's good faith, Daniel Eckman is able to walk out of prison after only serving three years of his long sentence. What is more, he will received money for having been wrongly accused. Daniel plans to go away with Christine, but there is something when they finally meet, that makes her a bit uncomfortable. During his own private investigation, Richard Malinowsky gets some key information that will help him solve the puzzle and he is able to avenge Emilie's death.

A fine film directed by Franck Mancuso who adapted a short story by Lawrence Block. The result is a credible 'policier' that never cease to get the viewer's attention. Add to that the excellent appearance by Jean Dujardin, an actor that is getting praise for his role in "The Artist", and you get a winning combination. The story moves at a good pace as Mr. Mancuso moves from one incident to the next.

There are some heavy hitters in the large supporting cast. Jean-Pierre Cassel, Laurent Lucas who makes an impression with his Eckman, Aurelie Recoing, Agnes Blanchot, and Caroline Santini contribute to the enjoyment of the film.

Wrong Bloch but right movie

[MrBelette · 10/10 · 10 October 2007]

First "writers_reign" the script is not an adaptation of a novel written by Robert Bloch but by Lawrence Block, also author of "Eight million ways to die" adapted by Hal Ashby. Having said this the movie itself offers a good and unusual performance by Jean Dujardin and a new great one by Laurent Lucas. Franck Mancuso being an ex cop is certainly in a better place that anyone to know about police procedures and does a good job for his first directorial task. It's also great to see a cameo by the late Jean-Pierre Cassel. So, in the end it's a tight (the movie is approx 75mn long) crime drama that don't relies on car chases or gunfights. French thrillers still can be made these days.

Would be a better movie if it wasn't for the Dils case

[marivaid · 7/10 · 30 September 2007]

The plot is somewhat simple - a policeman whose daughter was raped and murdered helps the man who is in jail for her murder to have his conviction overturned. (graeme-hayes, he is not "allowed to investigate",he's doing it on his own without his colleagues's approval)

The movie itself was really good. It was nice to see Dujardin finally getting a role worthy of his talents. However, what really irked me were the similarities between this movie and the Patrick Dils case.

For those who don't know, Patrick Dils was convicted of killing 2 boys when he was 16 years old, then his conviction was overturned 15 years later - and the fact that serial killer Francis Heaulmes was proved to have been in the area at the time and described the murder of the boys to the police several years before had a huge impact during his trial. Heaulmes,however,was never charged.

There is no question that the movie, especially the part about the serial killer, was inspired by the Dils case. Same disease, same relationship with his mother... so it makes me wonder what was REALLY the point for the film makers ? Are they implying that Dils is in fact guilty and should still be in jail ?

I happen to believe in Dils's innocence and that really left a bad taste in my mouth after watching this movie. Apart from that, it's possibly the best French movie of this genre that I've watched in the past few years. Certainly the best since Six Pack.

A nasty little film. One to miss.

[graeme-hayes · 1/10 · 15 May 2007]

This film is a useful corrective for those who think that French cinema is inescapably urbane, intelligent and stylish. Counter-investigation is a shallow, nasty, derivative, clunking little film. Though its authenticity is widely trailed, the film's basic premise - that a police officer whose daughter has been raped and killed would subsequently be allowed to investigate the same crime as a miscarriage of justice - defies disbelief. Character development is jettisoned in favour of a nuts and bolts plot which delivers few pleasures. Men suffer, you know, when their children die; but they can get through it by squaring their jaws and drinking liquor. Paedophiles, well, they're clever, cold, and calculating. And evil, pretty much. The police, they'd do a fine job, if it weren't for bureaucrats. And liberals, especially. The film's ultimate message - that the only justice is old testament justice in a neatly defined world of good and evil - is as absurd as it is juvenile. One to miss.

Surprised ...

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 10 October 2007]

... by a few things. Like how good the movie was, how bad it is rated here and how convincing the main actor was in this (given the movie I saw him before was a spoof, OSS 117). Although I heard he's a big star over in France.

No wonder I say. His performance holds this movie together, which may be a little predictable and might run a bit too long, but it still is a good movie. With a very difficult topic that is. And a relationship between two characters, that is disturbing to say the least. And that's not only counting for the wife of the main character (it's his movie though, which is apparent too), but also with the other main person of the movie. It moves slowly, but if you adapt to that, than you will like it (and the twists will be a nice addition, too).

Justice is Blind...As a Bat

[lavatch · 7/10 · 8 July 2021]

"Counter-Investigation" was a well-told crime yarn stylishly presented.

The film's central focus is a hard-boiled detective who becomes obsessed with the murderer of his daughter. Richard Malinowski is the detective who was negligent in leaving the daughter alone. After her death and the conviction of the bookish Daniel Eckmann, Malinowski has his doubts and pursues his private investigation.

Despite its slow pace, the film built good dramatic tension as we came to know behavior of the prisoner Eckmann and his nemesis Malinowsky. The sly dog in prison gets a pen pal who falls in love with him and gives false testimony that helps spring him from jail.

Detective Malinowski appears to be played for a sucker as Eckmann is finally freed. But the film's big plot twist involves Malinowski's diabolical revenge plot due to his obsession.

The film was especially unpleasant when one thinks of the psychological warfare waged by the detective and how he was taking up valuable time of the police in a major ploy of misdirection to fool Eckmann.

Unconvincing despite some good performances

[imdb-23821 · 5/10 · 9 August 2021]

There was a potentially good film here that is reminiscent of others you've seen much better done and with a story that at least didn't contain holes the size of craters. Without spoilers, the first cheat is that virtually no information is given to make one believe that the police were able to find the right man for a murder of a police officer's daughter. Second, there is almost no acting needed by the suspect. It's another cheat designed to fool the viewer. And the third and last is that the premise, that a police detective would begin a counter investigation in this fashion would need some seriously solid evidence. And it just wasn't there.

In spite of excellent performances by much of the cast, this film became a parody of itself as it moved along and the conclusion was completely obvious. Had its moments but came away very empty.

Wonderful plot twist

[laduqesa · 6/10 · 13 September 2022]

I watched this with a steadily-mounting sense of horror that the real culprit was going to get away with it. There were enough clues to make clear his guilt even to a person such as me who is hopeless at solving whodunnits.

The ever reliable Jean Dujardin played a good role as the dad whose child was murdered and Laurent Lucas was fine as the convict but unfortunately his part was not as developed.

As events moved on and the counter investigation wound to a close resulting in another court case there was a huge sting in the tail. I didn't see it coming at all. It's a good job that the police commandant was so understanding.

A modestly enjoyable crime drama

[I_Ailurophile · 6/10 · 27 June 2023]

Aside from the simple fact of watching Jean Dujardin in a straight drama, and not a comedy of one variety or another, there are a few bits and pieces that catch one's attention in no time at all. One is the curtness of the pacing in terms of plot development, contrasted with the weirdly lax pacing we see in small moments such as the camera watching characters walking (just walking) for longer than is necessary. There's also the somewhat clunky or even blockheaded dialogue and scene writing that could be copied and pasted to or from countless other films or TV shows about hard-headed cops. I would also argue that the direction, acting, sound design, and a fair bit of the writing at large are characterized by a distinct bluntness, and perhaps heavy-handedness. None of this is to say that 'Contre-enquête' (also known as 'Counter investigation') can't be enjoyable and worthwhile on its own merits, yet in the very least we'll need to look for something to help it stand apart from its brethren, and these factors may also serve to place upper limits on one's engagement.

I claim no familiarity with Lawrence Block's novel, and I can't say I specifically know writer-director Franck Mancuso. Maybe I'm too jaded or cynical to fully appreciate this, or maybe I'm just not on the same wavelength. One way or another, it strikes me that the narrative feels rather loosely threaded together; there are particular elements of the story as it presents, but the connections between them are weak, less than believable, and/or clearly the invention of fiction rather than a discrete reach for verisimilitude. I refer above all to the dual focus on not just father and policeman Richard but also convicted suspect Daniel, but even other facets like Richard's ongoing investigation seem troubled to me, and less than entirely cohesive. Yes, all these aspects do in fact tie together, and I'm certainly not saying that the movie as we see it is "bad," but it comes across as fitting together Just So, a matter of Movie Magic, and is less than wholly convincing. At the same time, it also comes off in some measure as a crime drama by numbers: all the parts are here on paper, but it lacks the passion, punch, or genuine excitement to make any of it count.

To be clear, I do actually like 'Contre-enquête.' I think it's broadly well made, with illustration of capable skill in all regards. I don't agree with all the choices that were made, but I recognize able craftsmanship in the cinematography, editing, acting, and production design, not to mention hair and makeup; Mancuso's direction is fine from a technical standpoint, and again, in general terms I think all the ingredients are present in the screenplay for a solid crime drama. The overall plot is excellent. Still, when one gets down to it the minutiae of the picture, and the details of the execution, feel rough, brusque, inchoate, ill-fitting, and/or the product of Cookie Cutter formulations. At best the feature is unremarkable; at its most deficient, we kind of have to just accept it at face value and leave it at that. I appreciate the work that everyone put into it, and I'd like to see more of what all involved are capable of. I also think this title would have quite benefited from even the slightest injection of vitality into the drama, for the evenhanded tone does it no favors; a more delicate hand in the writing, in the direction, and in other capacities would have helped the drama to land more smoothly, and be more impactful. Such as it is I think it's a decent enough way to spend eighty-five minutes if one comes across it, but this is nothing one needs to go out of their way to see. 'Contre-enquête' is okay, and sometimes that's all a movie needs to be, but that does mean it's hard to be especially enthusiastic about it.

The real guilty ones are

[housearrestedever · 7/10 · 14 December 2021]

The Father, the cop who left his underage daughter at home alone, she was later murdered due to his careless absence. The second one who's guilty was the screenplay writers, including the original story writer, Lawrence Block, who wrote a completely unacceptable short story, making a cop did the unforgivable crime that had his daughter murdered, not in France, but in the No. 1 murder country of the USA. But justifiably speaking, the cop was the real murderer who should be charged not just for his negligence but actually committed a crime. The guy who did the killing was just an accidental opportunist psycho with a twisted mind.

Great thriller, cautionary tale and cop movie!

[stuka24 · 8/10 · 27 November 2011]

Jean Dujardin plays "Richard Malinowski", a model cop and family man in this film loaded with famous actors like J. P. Cassel, Aurélien Recoing and J. F. Garreaud. Beautiful Caroline Santini plays the unknowing victim of a psychopath so well you can't forget her case easily. Visually beautiful, great music, a rather classic/ conventional plot in the beginning, but the movie doesn't deliver if you know how to wait.

Claire M., the long-suffering wife of our main character, could've been better developed, following instead the well trodden lines of the "wife that doesn't understand the hero, leaves him at the worst moment, is cold and always complaining". I'd expect a better leading female character, at least in a film made in 2007.

What I most liked is the cop culture of fellowship, even when they know what their "brothers in arms" are up to. They protect each other. For good or for bad :).

Enjoy!

PS: To the fellow IMDb reviewer "kosmasp": Yes, Dujardin is very well known in France, he's always at Cannes, having just won the best actor prize there with the beautiful film "L'Artiste" with Bérénice Bejo, for instance.

Investigate This!

[Richie-67-485852 · 10/10 · 19 February 2016]

I love 10 movies. This be one of them. It's well made, directed, decent story and has all the range of emotions one would expect when being entertained. It wont take long for the viewer to be captured and then immersed into the storyline all the while not knowing what to expect. It has a sense of something is coming but what to it and finally, that "what" appears giving one of the best closures to the human psyche one could have. I am in support of how well the story was acted out to the point where you accept and even support it come what may. I also like the hearing the French language with the subtitles too. Somehow the fact that it is in a different tongue causes me to pay more attention upping the emotional quota considerably. Definite must watch for a good evenings entertainment. Snacking a must with a tasty drink too. No interruptions or you lose the bonding aspect. Stay still and it pays-off nicely...enjoy

Frank Mancuso directed

[sjanders-86430 · 8/10 · 28 June 2021]

A very clever take on a murder. A cop feels guilty his daughter is killed when he should have been with her. A man is convicted. A woman comes forward that she was on the trail the day his daughter was killed. That suspect is tried and convicted. Her testimony frees the killer. The killer comes to the father's house to thank him. They have a whiskey. The killer falls down. The killer was tricked. The killer is buried alive. The cop resigns. Nothing can bring his daughter back.