MALÉFIQUE

France. In a prison, four inmates find an ancient diary belonging to a serial killer expert in occultism and black magic. A popular legend circulating for years within the prison walls tells of how the diary's owner, using his magical knowledge, one day vanished from his cell. The four decide to use the formulas described in the book to escape from prison; but not everything is as easy as it seems... Directorial debut for French filmmaker Eric Valette, "Maléfique" presents itself as a "unique" film, far from European classicism, distant from the experimentalism of many debut works from the old Continent, but also far from the Hollywood stereotype. "Maléfique" is highly original despite drawing ideas from various sources: it's the story of imprisonment and escape, somewhat like "The Shawshank Redemption"; it's the cursed book and alchemy, somewhat like Lovecraft; it's the odyssey of four men and their rivalries born from confinement and alienation, somewhat like "Cube"; there are even hints of the distorted way of granting wishes, like "Wishmaster"... in short, in "Maléfique" there is truly everything and more. Yet, the lesson imparted by Valette is one to take note of, a respectful plundering to create a wholly original product that, despite evident budget limitations (4-5 actors and a single location), manages to demonstrate notable creative freshness and high emotional involvement of the viewer. The stories of the four inmates are all very particular and "curious," and the variety created with the same characters is notable albeit excessive: Carriere (Gérald La Roche) is a reflective and intelligent type, attached to his family and bound (for better or worse) to what he left behind, he is the mind of the group; Lassalle (Philippe Laudenbach) is the wise old man, the scholar of the group, now estranged from what represents the outside world and quite happy with his physical and emotional detachment from the world; Marcus (Clovis Cornillac), a corpulent trans with a strong inclination for leadership, is both mind and arm of the group, with a mysterious past and a desire to escape the body that imprisons him; finally, Paquerette (Dimitri Rataud), a young murderer afflicted with an obvious mental handicap, yearning for affection, has found in Marcus the parent he never had. This varied array of over-the-top characters, whose psychological aspects have been skillfully outlined, interact in a decidedly human way, resulting credible despite the strangeness with which they were conceived, and anyway highlighted by the good actors who portray them. A small critique must be directed at a not entirely convincing screenplay that, despite the aforementioned "fusion" merits, shows limitations in the second half of the film, where there is a tendency to prolong events (likely dictated by duration needs) even where it wasn't necessary (the episode where Picus appears is not entirely convincing). There is also a probable difficulty in finding an adequate ending to the story set up, thus creating an epilogue that deserved more care. Praiseworthy, however, is the idea that closes the film, worthy of "The Mothman Prophecies." Good, albeit restrained, the gore department; a bit less the suspense, which appears almost entirely absent. In conclusion, "Maléfique" is a good film, rather strange, original, and engaging that, despite some flaws scattered here and there, is definitely worth appreciating and promoting with full marks. Worth watching.