Rating: R
Genre:
Mystery
Release Date: 01/02/2007
SubTitles: English/Espanol
Dubbed: English/French
Sound: DD5.1/DD2
Run Time: 98 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Nudity, Sexual Situations, Drug Content
Distributor/Studio: Lionsgate
Vidocq (1775-1857) was a noted French detective who was one of the great trailblazers of modern criminal investigation; he's been credited with establishing the first private investigation firm, and pioneered a number of scientific techniques that are still being used today.
Vidocq was also a master of disguise and a former thief with no small sense of adventure, and his exploits have been fodder for a number of novels, plays, and motion pictures in France;
Vidocq is a high-tech retooling of his legend that employs cutting-edge digital technology to bring a new visual dazzle to his story.
Vidocq (
Gerard Depardieu) dies an unexpected death while battling his arch-nemesis
the Alchemist, and
Boisset (
Guillaume Canet), an opportunistic journalist, sets out to write his life story, convincing
Nimier (
Moussa Maaskri),
Vidocq's partner, that he had made arrangements with the great man himself to collaborate on such a book before his death.
Boisset begins interviewing
Vidocq's cohorts, but it seems someone is following the reporter, as his interview subjects have a habit of dying sudden and violent deaths shortly after sharing their stories. As it turns out, the deaths are tied into a case
Vidocq investigated, in which a number of people were killed by lightning -- lightning that was conjured up by none other than
the Alchemist. Shot on high-definition digital video equipment to allow special effects artists greater latitude to manipulate the images,
Vidocq also features
Ines Sastre,
Andre Dussollier, and
Edith Scob.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
