CRIMSON RIVERS II: ANGELS OF THE APOCALYPSE

In a French monastery on the German border, the walled-up corpse of a man is discovered. Commissioner Niemans investigates this fact. Meanwhile, young Captain Reda encounters a man whose appearance resembles that of Jesus Christ, whose life is threatened by a group of mysterious murderous monks. The two investigations end up crossing paths. Sequel to "Purple Rivers", written by the director of "Léon", "Nikita" and "The Fifth Element" Luc Besson, shares with the prototype directed by Kassovitz an unsettling atmosphere with supernatural echoes, and unfortunately also a rushed rational solution that clashes with the rest of the film. Dahan's direction is surprising, on the verge of virtuosity, largely indebted to Argento's films and the typical suggestions of music videos. The camera never stays still and some shots are pleasantly surprising. Good photography, dark even in scenes in broad daylight. The quality of the performances varies, but among all is the great Jean Reno, a top-tier actor like there are few around. The only flaw in his performance is the last two minutes, where the film ends like an episode of an American TV show like "The A-Team" or similar, full of quips and smiles, in total contrast with the rest of the story: a drop in tone that leaves a mark. However, this is only the lowest part of a downward parabola, as already in the last segment, that is, when the mystery is revealed (and the unease of the supernatural dissolves like smoke in the wind) and the plot takes an Indiana Jones-like turn, with a trap based on light that very much recalls "Raiders of the Lost Ark", thus citing in a more or less explicit manner the famous "Asterix" from across the Rhine (the works of Goscinny and Uderzo, I mean), where instead of the magic potion there are more concrete amphetamines that miraculously have an immediate effect on the organism. It's a shame that this lack of inspiration struck Besson precisely in the finale (which was also quite disappointing in the prototype), because otherwise the film is very enjoyable: the visual qualities of the film are certainly appreciable, but what matters most is its spirit of "genre film" all around. Indeed, on the typical basis of the thriller with a sprinkling of horror, some really good action sequences find their place, such as the one where Reda (Magimel) chases after one of the demonic monks or the final shootout in one of the tunnels of the Maginot Line. Even from a purely horror perspective, the film does not disappoint: in addition to a decidedly dark atmosphere (thanks to the photography mentioned above), the film presents quite strong scenes also on the splatter side, with severed heads, fingers made to jump with gunshots, eyes gouged out, bodies butchered and yet another reference to the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian (who, since "Friday the 13th" could have lived off the royalties). It is certainly a pleasure to see that at least the French (but also the Spanish, the Germans, the English, the Dutch... in short, everyone except us!) have started making this kind of films again, and I apologize if every time I review a European film I bring up this topic. By the way, a third chapter has been announced, which will conclude the trilogy, with Florent Emilio Siri, the same as "Wasp Nest", at the helm. In conclusion, "Purple Rivers 2" is a fun film, certainly not a masterpiece, but these days who has seen?