"Gilles Lellouche plays Moulin, who is parachuted into France from London in 1943 to effectively begin the task of uniting the resistance's quarrelling factions under De Gaulle's exiled leadership, while refusing with much worldly melancholy the amorous advances of his civilian liaison, the fictionalised Comtesse de Forez (Louise Bourgoin). But before any actual anti-German resistance activity can take place, Moulin is snitched on and finds himself under arrest at Gestapo headquarters, facing the horrendous psychopath and Butcher of Lyon Klaus Barbie (a lip-smacking performance from the tempestuous German actor Lars Eidinger), who has ways of making Moulin talk."
"But his new film in the Cannes competition is a basically pretty conventionally acted, conventionally directed, conventionally conceived wartime movie shot in the sepia-subdued colours of an old photograph, all about French resistance heroism and French resistance leader Jean Moulin, who went down in history for refusing to talk under torture. The overall effect isn't really like Jean-Pierre Melville's film Army of Shadows; maybe closer to the 70s BBC TV show Secret Army."
"Nemes's final scene is even rather sentimentally stirring, though the director then tries to cancel this sugary moment with a final premonition of the death camps. At all events, he undoubtedly brings impeccable craftsmanship, and the performances and production design are strong. Eidinger is arguably the only possible star-casting for this gruesome role, but his theatrical portrayal is sometimes a little too close to the sinuous malevolence of Hannibal Lecter."
"Orphan, released in the UK last week, was a comparably enigmatic film set in post-second world war Hungary. But his new film in the Cannes competition is a basically pretty conventionally acted, conventionally directed, conventionally conceived wartime movie shot in the sepia-subdued colours of an old photograph, all about French resistance heroism and French resistance leader Jean Moulin."
Laszlo Nemes returns with a Cannes competition wartime film centered on French resistance hero Jean Moulin. Gilles Lellouche portrays Moulin, parachuted into France from London in 1943 to unite quarrelling resistance factions under De Gaulle’s exiled leadership. Moulin refuses the romantic advances of his civilian liaison, the fictionalized Comtesse de Forez, played by Louise Bourgoin. Before resistance action begins, Moulin is betrayed and arrested at Gestapo headquarters. He faces Klaus Barbie, portrayed by Lars Eidinger, who uses brutal methods to force Moulin to talk. The film maintains strong craftsmanship, performances, and production design, with a final scene that is emotionally stirring but undercut by a premonition of death camps.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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