Karmapolice
| Karmapolice | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Julien Paolini |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Hadrien Vedel |
| Edited by |
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| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | DHR Distribution / À Vif Cinémas |
Release dates |
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Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Karmapolice is a 2023 French neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Julien Paolini. His second feature film, Karmapolice was written by Paolini in collaboration with Manolis Mavropoulos and Syrus Shahidi.[1] It stars Shahidi as a troubled cop who investigates his mysterious neighbour. Alexis Manenti and Karidja Touré appear in supporting roles.[2] It premiered on 21 October 2023 at the Festival Polar de Cognac, before being theatrically released in France on 17 July 2024.
Plot
[edit]Angelo is a idealistic policeman consumed by guilt after he accidentally caused the death of a woman he was trying to help. He is put on sick leave and moves with his girlfriend to the working-class Château Rouge neighbourhood of Paris. There, he befriends a knowledgeable local named Poulet. He becomes concerned about a woman who lives across the hall named Elena, a drug addict who is allegedly under the influence of the neighbourhood's slumlord and crack dealer Anselme. Angelo involves himself in Poulet's activities and starts his own undercover investigation.
Cast
[edit]- Syrus Shahidi as Angelo
- Alexis Manenti as Poulet
- Karidja Touré as Pauline
- Foëd Amara as Kemar
- Steve Tientcheu as Anselme
- Hortense Ardalan as Elena
- Sabrina Ouazani as Maman
- Thomas Blumenthal as le voleur
- Yaniss Lespert as un collègue
- Yaya Bathily as un collègue
- Zacharie Chasseriaud as l'agent immobilier
- Lauréna Thellier as la victime
Production
[edit]Paolini drew inspiration from French comics, including those by Charles Burns, Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Larcenet.[3]
Release
[edit]Karmapolice was presented in competition at the Festival Polar de Cognac, where it had its world premiere on 21 October 2023 and earned Paolini his second Grand Prix.[4][5] The film was theatrically released in France on 17 July 2024, distributed by DHR.[6]
Reception
[edit]On AlloCiné, the film received an average rating of 3.0 out of 5 stars, based on 12 reviews from French critics.[7] LeMagduCiné saw it as "the legacy of a certain New York underground cinema, from early Scorsese to the Safdie brothers, via Lynch's Blue Velvet".[8] Emmanuel Le Gagne of Culturopoing assessed it as a "dreamlike thriller coupled with a poetic fable" and compared it to the works of Samuel Fuller, Abel Ferrara, Julien Duvivier and Marcel Carné.[9] Cineuropa wrote that Paolini confirmed his "singularity" as a director.[10] Xavier Leherpeur of Le Nouvel Obs gave the film a positive review, writing, "If the storyline of this karmic thriller sometimes gets a little lost in its maze [...] the mise en scène sets things back on track. Captivating, opaque and surreal, it immerses the spectator in a mental and melancholic labyrinth in which it is a beautiful experience to get lost."[11] Catherine Balle of Le Parisien praised the "fascinating" immersion into Château Rouge's criminal underworld and wrote that the film turned out to be "very well-crafted and very well-acted".[12] Télérama praised the "rigorous" performances by Syrus Shahidi and Alexis Manenti, a pairing which they compared to Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.[13] In a mixed review, Libération's Camille Nevers wrote that the film "has charm and ideas but fails to create the disturbing atmosphere it aspires to".[14]
References
[edit]- ^ Lemercier, Fabien (1 April 2022). "Julien Paolini's Karmapolice enters into post-production". Cineuropa (in French). Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "FESTIVAL POLAR DE COGNAC". www.festival-polar-cognac.fr. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Karmapolice Dossier de presse" (PDF). Unifrance. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Programme". Festival Polar de Cognac. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Polar le festival Cognac : les six « Grands Prix » dévoilés". Charente Libre (in French). 22 October 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Les distributeurs peaufinent leurs line-ups". Boxoffice Pro (in French). 26 February 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Critiques Presse pour le film Karmapolice". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Villard, Violette (28 November 2023). "Karmapolice de Julien Paolini : Angelo perdu in the red castle". LeMagduCine (in French). Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Julien Paolini – « Karmapolice »". Culturopoing (in French). 8 July 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Critique : Karmapolice". Cineuropa (in French). 15 July 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ Leherpeur, Xavier (16 July 2024). "« Karmapolice » : un thriller labyrinthique et envoûtant dans les rues de la Goutte-d'Or". Le Nouvel Obs (in French). Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ Balle, Catherine; Baronian, Renaud; Valentin, Michel (16 July 2024). "Sorties cinéma du 17 juillet : « Mad Fate », « Santosh », « Karmapolice »… Les films à voir (ou pas)". Le Parisien (in French). Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ Strauss, Frédéric (16 July 2024). ""Karmapolice", de Julien Paolini : notre critique". Télérama (in French). Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ Nevers, Camille. "Julien Paolini, mais que fait la «Karmapolice» ?". Libération (in French). Retrieved 20 September 2024.
External links
[edit]- Karmapolice at IMDb
- Karmapolice at AlloCiné (in French)
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