This is the contemporary French thriller: all form and no substance ;flashy pictures,disturbing characters and poor screenplays. The director obviously relied on his cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant and Stefania Sandrelli were once in Bertolucci's critically-acclaimed "il conformista";both are very talented actors but neither the rest of the cast nor the story are very exciting : the boy who spies on his neighbor with his telescope ,the average viewer has seen this at least a hundred times or more .("You like astronomy,don't you?" is supposed to be a "funny" line" when the sleuth investigates a murder).The young peeping tom's parents characters are caricatures (they are not educated as their neighbors so when their son plays loud his opera arias ,the crude father calls it "queer music" );as far as the depiction of the bourgeois life is concerned,you 'd better take one of Claude Chabrol's best films (those of the late sixties) any day.

Ditto for the two cops : the old veteran versus the young (not so young anyway)bloody idiot subject is not new either.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

The crime genre features criminal activities, investigations, law enforcement, crimes, and the pursuit of justice. Crime stories often revolve around the planning, execution, and consequences of criminal acts, as well as the efforts to solve and prevent such acts. They explore various aspects of criminal behavior, motives, and the moral dilemmas faced by both perpetrators and those seeking to uphold the law.

James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)

The thriller genre features suspense, tension, and excitement. These stories are known for keeping audiences on the edge of their seats and delivering intense emotional experiences by revolving around high-stakes situations, dangerous conflicts, and the constant anticipation of unexpected events.

An unorthodox police commissioner investigates the suspicious death of a man run over by a train.

Centre Européen Cinématographique Rhône-Alpes

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Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant in The Best Years of a Life (2019)

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