Disappointing French thriller, thanks to a ridiculous plot, overblown direction and some dodgy acting from Clovis Cornillac.
Comment
09/14/07
The Serpent (2006)
85 %
Reviews Counted: 13 Fresh: 11 Rotten:2 Average Rating: 6.4/10
Rated: 15
Theatrical Release: 14-09-2007
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Yvan Attal
Director: Eric Barbier
Reviews
1 - 13 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
The film isn't much like recent examples of torture porn. It's too stylish for that.
09/14/07
The story came from Get Carter’s source author, English crime writer Ted Lewis, but the venomous sophistication and serpentine inner logic are French.
09/14/07
Top Critic
It's slick, efficient, tough-nosed film-making, enmeshing our hapless hero more and more tightly in its narrative coils. Only a matter of time, surely, before Michael Douglas shows up in the remake.
09/14/07
Top Critic
A penchant for silliness and a tabloid-ready storyline mean The Serpent is a decent thriller that loses some of its impact as it unfolds, but remains a well-paced and enjoyable film.
09/14/07
Top Critic
A mite overblown, but no less enjoyable for it – and guaranteed to get a Hollywood re-jig.
09/14/07
The Serpent makes atmospheric use of its urban locations. But the more overblown the film becomes the less it engages our emotions.
09/14/07
Top Critic
An occasionally effective and stylish piece of filmmaking, capturing both the gloss and grime of the best thrillers, and delivering the odd shock as well.
09/14/07
Not unwatchable, but a distinct let-down, since this crew surely had a more incisive movie in them.
09/14/07
Top Critic
Director Eric Barbier's thriller is an ambitious affair, full of writhing storylines, switchback narrative and a terrifically vile villain in the form of Clovis Cornillac.
09/14/07
An appropriately serpentine plot makes for an engaging thriller. It’s a shame then that the final showdown is so daft.
09/14/07
Top Critic
You will be thrilled all the way through Le Serpent, and once the final credits roll, you will be awed by the muscular solidity of its construction.
09/14/07
1 - 13 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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