Harockerce What a beautiful movie!

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Yazmin Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

petra_ste Eugène François Vidocq (1775-1857) led a singularly interesting, eventful life. He was a criminal, then became a detective; credited as the founder of modern criminology, he dedicated revolutionary attention to branches like ballistics and undercover work. Shockingly, however, at no point did he pursue a sorcerer serial-killer who wore a magic mask and murdered virgins to obtain eternal youth.This thriller/fantasy accomplishes a remarkable task: usually a movie is either boring or ludicrous, but it takes a special alchemy (badum-tsh) to be both - although the rare fights between corpulent, aged Depardieu and the super-villain who hisses and convulses as if he has wasps under his cloak have a delightfully hilarious quality to them. Visually, the film is all over the place; it looks like the kind of nightmare Paul W.S. Anderson might have after an unhealthily spicy dinner.Vidocq wastes two fine actors like the always watchable Depardieu and Guillaume Canet - the latter probably best known outside France as the lucky guy who got to marry Marion Cotillard.If you want a better horror/thriller set in 17-18th century France, check out Le Pacte Des Loups, which is also very silly but much more competently crafted.5/10

the-lady-of-death As a friend's recommendation, I took on "Vidocq" in my movie arsenal. The plot is forever thick and leaves you guessing until the end. Twists and Turns, and an Originality that keeps you locked in your seats. At times you will find yourself wrinkling your nose to some of the eroticism presented in this film, while at the same time captivated by the uniqueness of the concepts and situations which occur throughout the film. It's a "double wrapped" present, sort of how it would be to get a gift in a box, in a box. Overall quality is pleasing to the eye and stimulating to the brain. I continue to recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good thriller, or mind bending visual experience. However DO keep in mind the rating is exact and to the point. "R" for a reason. Enjoy!

José Luis Rivera Mendoza (jluis1984) French director Pitof was responsible of the visual effects of most of the best fantasy movies made in France during the 90s; including the brilliant works by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, "Delicatessen" and "La Cité Des Enfants Perdus". Now, and with a small help of Marc Caro himself, he takes the position of director in one of the best fantasy films of modern times, a fictional adventure of the world's first detective, Vidocq.In real life, François-Eugène Vidocq was a criminal who later become a police officer and then the world's first private detective, innovating the criminology and the police work like nobody ever did. Now, in Pitof's movie, the famous detective (played by Gérard Depardieu) is apparently killed in his last case by a mysterious criminal, so his young admirer and biographer Etienne Boisset (Guillaume Canet) must solve the mystery of Vidocq's death and stop the criminal his idol couldn't catch.Like in their previous collaborations, Pitof gives life to Marc Caro's designs with vivid colors and a beautiful photography. Aided by digital effects, Pitof creates a fantastical 18th century France that is both haunting and captivating. Loosely based on Vidocq's memories, Pitof and writer Jean-Christophe Grangé present a thrilling story of mystery, horror and dark fantasy that never becomes boring and is full of surprises.Pitof's work in the U.S. (specially the awful "Catwoman") may turn off most people, but "Vidocq" is a completely different film. It is fresh, entertaining and very well designed. Unlike most Hollywood fantasy films, "Vidocq"'s flashy visuals never overshadow the plot and the cast. Despite being very prominent through the movie, the special effects serve their purpose without becoming the focus. While Pitof's film-making is very on the "style over substance" way of thinking, in "Vidocq" he seems to find the perfect equilibrium between them.Depardieu is brilliant as Vidocq and it is hard to think of anybody else playing the part. He has aged well and gives the role the dignity and humor the character demands. Guillaume Canet is also good in the lead role and portrays the naiveté of the young biographer with vivid realism. The beautiful Inés Sastre completes the cast in a role that mixes glamor with a lot of sensuality.Director Pitof's past as visual effects supervisor is latent, and while the digital effects are superb; his work with his cast is still a bit weak. Thanks to the talent of his actors this is not really a problem, but at times it still feels that Pitof prefers to work with computers than with people."Vidocq" is a movie to be entertained, and it serves its purpose perfectly. It is certainly not a thought-provoking movie but a movie to let the imagination fly. Like the early Caro-Jeunet collaborations, "Vidocq" is a dark fantasy for the inner child that still wants to venture in worlds of wonder. This Gothic tale of mystery and suspense is the perfect antidote to the mindless action films of the last decades. 7/10

gallegoT I've never seen a movie like this. It has everything a good movie should have - great characters, perfectly pictured by excellent actors lead by Depardieu, outstanding setting and camera, and - above all - a perfect story! It may be shocking to kill the main character at the beginning of the movie, but we can see what happened before his death, for Vidocq's case is followed up by Vidocq's former partner and a journalist. We can watch Vidocq - a real historical person - looking for a phantom, a killer of young virgins. We watch him unveiling the context of the case, bringing us to the Parisien high-class and to dark suburbs,too. He is getting closer to the killer, till the moment, where he was killed (first scene). However, this is not the end of the story, and the last scene brings a huge revelation of the phantom... It is a perfectly-made film with a lot of tricks, a lot of shocks and a lot of wonderful shots. The plot itself is great, but done this way it aspires to be one of the most beautiful action/thriller/mystery movie of the last decade. And it also shows the strength of French film-making.