Summary
In Marseilles, a young woman commits suicide one evening after being the victim of a vicious
rape attack. The incident torments her brother, Gerard, a dockworker, who resolves
to avenge her death. Whilst moping around the streets where his sister died,
Gerard meets a beautiful young woman Loretta, who cruises the port in a red sports car.
Just as Gerard is on the verge of uncovering the identity of his sister’s rapist he finds
himself torn between his vindictive girlfriend Bella and the mysterious Loretta.
Review
After Jean-Jacques Beineix made such a stunning directoral debut with his stylish post-modern
thriller Diva, it was inevitable
then his next film would be pilloried if it failed to maintain the same high standards.
La Lune dans le caniveau certainly makes a strong contrast with Beineix’s first
film. Compared with Diva, it is a moody, slow-moving affair, more realistic,
and with a much greater emphasis on characterisation. Unfortunately, many critics
were expecting a Diva II and the film was widely trashed, instantly putting the
breaks on Beineix’s career.
Not all critics shared the view that La Lune dans le caniveau was a bad film, and
since its release the standing of the film has generally improved. Although it is
by no means as innovative and as compelling as Diva, the film does succeed in giving
a tired B-movie subject a slick, artistically inspired interpretation. The film’s
main fault is that it is just too long to sustain such a threadbare plot, even with an
actor as talented and charismatic as Gérard Depardieu in the lead role.
© James Travers 2003
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