La French

Macho macho man, or impeccable craftsmanship in a formalistically precise genre film in classic garb in which the only utterly surprising element is that the protagonist and the villain look so terribly similar that the viewer constantly gets them mixed up. (10/02/2015)

Excellent French gritty crime drama with a retro 1970's look about a new judge in Marseille who goes up against organized crime, led by the great Gilles Lellouche. I wasn't bored, the pace is fine, there was some bloody action, the finale is quite shocking. France is great at making these films, and this gangster flick is no exception. 8/10. (28/02/2021)

The filmmakers did well to make this movie inspired by a true story from the mafia environment in the style of the good old French crime dramas, and they managed to create the right atmosphere largely through the excellent choice of music. I have no complaints about the cast either, they were all great. However, overall, it could have been a little more tense. (75%) (19/02/2022)

This film, despite its undeniable efforts, does not come close to Friedkin's Oscar-winning original, and not only because it lacks the charismatic trio of Hackman, Rey, and Scheider. However, it can be compared to Frankenheimer's sequel from 1975. The Connection doesn't bring anything innovative to the table, but it's shot in the spirit of the famous traditions of French crime films. It offers a proven genre cocktail from the world of organized crime, corrupt cops, and determined idealists from both the legal and police ranks. Overall impression: 75%. (26/10/2021)

The French Connection made in a French way loosely based on real events of the Marseille camorra. This is done through a decent old-school crime movie that consistently builds the duality of the two main characters from the opposite sides of the barricade. It goes so far that they are also stylized in the same way, so in some scenes it is hard to tell them apart and throughout the whole footage the following rule applies "if one of them appears on the screen for one minute, then the other one will appear soon". And no matter how stylish it is, it makes it far too obvious to its own detriment, that the movie wants to be part of the same club as the classics of French Connection, Heat or American Gangster, without, however, having their qualities. But that doesn't at all mean that it is not a very good crime movie anyway. (23/05/2015)