ROUBAIX, UNE LUMIÈRE / OH MERCY!
Arnaud DESPLECHIN — FRANCE — 119 minutes
IN A NUTSHELL
Based on a true story and the 2008 TV documentary, this film follows a police chief Daoud (Roschdy Zem). His family has returned to Algeria a few years back, but he opted to stay in the city where he was born and grew up. He is paired with a rookie cop Louis (Antoine Reinartz). And the two of them are tasked with trying to solve a case where an old woman was brutally murdered. (words by Bianca Garner)
CRITICAL RESPONSE
“Because of Desplechin’s reputation, a Cannes competition slot and the participation of Bond Girl Lea Seydoux in a supporting role — her 60-minute impression of Giovanni Bragolin’s The Crying Boy is convincing, if particularly lachrymose — his 12th feature should nonetheless be in demand at festivals. In terms of theatrical distribution, however, the target audience for this unusual twofer isn’t exactly clear.” — Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter
“Although Desplechin claims his main interest is to get inside the two women’s characters, pushing away moral absolutes about guilt and innocence (yes, “Crime and Punishment” is a key influence), the couple come off as the least interesting people on screen. Marie is like a battered wife clearly under her partner’s thrall, while Claude is an amoral bully convinced she can put on a good performance of blamelessness. Even before they’re made to re-stage the murder, the audience is ready to move on, perhaps to one of the other cases with personalities that hold more interest.” — Jay Weissberg, Variety
“Arnaud Desplechin‘s “Oh, Mercy!” (aka Roubaix, une lumiere) was an unexceptional police procedural — a pilot episode for “C.S.I Roubaix” as many critics have called it. A real shame since I absolutely love Desplechin. Then again, his last two films, also counting “Ismail’s Ghosts” have been absolute failures. At some point I really wasn’t sure if this was a serious statement from Desplechin or if he was actually pulling an all-time of a joke on us.” — Jordan Ruimy, World of Reel
PRIZE PROSPECTS
Believe it or not, this is French filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin’s sixth time in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Previously no fortune with La sentinelle, My Sex Life… or How I Got Into an Argument, Esther Kahn, Jimmy P., and arguably his finest work, A Christmas Tale. Like on those occasions, this year’s festival is shaping up to have a handful of such strong contenders, it is hard to see Oh Mercy! causing any surprises.
I wouldn’t even call Léa Seydoux a Best Actress possibility. Again, just far too many heavyweight performances elsewhere. Perhaps Seydoux could have a Cannes 2013 reunion with Adèle Exarchopoulos (Sibyl) and director Abdellatif Kechiche (Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo), I suspect the latter would be far less comfortable company than the former. (words by Robin Write)
