Mea Culpa

Fans of fast-paced action movies will find much to enjoy in this bruising thriller from promising French film-maker Fred Cavayé. It centres on the haunted figure of Simon (Vincent Lindon), a taciturn former cop whose old skill set is required when his little boy (Max Baissette de Malglaive) is targeted by a gang of murderous criminals. Deciding that attack is the best form of defence, Simon teams up with his loyal ex-partner (Gilles Lellouche) and takes the fight to them. The numerous chases and shoot-outs that follow are staged with finesse, and they boast an impressive sense of driving momentum, while the more emotional scenes benefit from the obvious talents of Lindon and Lellouche. The film is occasionally let down by moments that ring false (do mobsters automatically start shooting when cops enter nightclubs?) but Cavayé keeps things moving in such a way that it hardly matters.