Review of The Prey

The Prey (2011)
7/10
Intense and intelligent Gallic thriller about a spectacular escape and a implacable chase
14 June 2014
A stylish , complex movie driven by main character, an innocent inmate on the run , being realized in ¨The fugitive¨ style and centers on a low-level crook who had to break out of jail in order to save his family from his former cellmate, who results out to be a brilliant but deranged serial killer . As a thief (Albert Dupontel) is condemned and imprisoned but before he gets caught he arranges to hide the loot and it's not just Gendarmerie that are looking for the bank cash . His cellmate is a creepy introvert , Jean-Louis Maurel (Stéphane Debac) , who results to be an alleged rapist/child molester but he claims his innocence and the court finds him not guilty ; Maurel promises him to find his wife (Caterina Murino) and mute daughter when he gets out . But one day, an ex-Gendarme called Manuel Carrega (Sergi Mateu) tells him that Jean-Louis Maurel is a suspicious serial murderer . Franck then plots a twisted plan , as he decides to break her out . As he starts planning and decides to carry out his scheme . Franck devises a daring plan to rescue his wife and daughter , but he is relentlessly pursued by an obstinate policewoman called Claire Linné (Alice Taglioni).

This exciting film contains high-octane action , violence , thrills , suspense , a gruesome escape , bone-crushing mayhem and plot twists . From the start to finish the action , chases and thrills are interminable . Excellent thriller in which nothing is the way it seems , the atmosphere is already tense and the twists and turns are the best part of this movie . In other ways, it feels like a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock , full of attractive characters and edge-of-your-seat intrigue . The film borrows from a handful of hit movies, there are plenty of short-cuts and inconsistencies such as ¨The fugitive¨ , ¨Seven¨ , ¨The Prey¨ , ¨Tell no one¨ , among others . Film's best asset is its brawny stars , who outperform a scenario that offers enough lasting surprises or sustainable characters . The flick was noteworthy for casting some of the finest actors in France including Albert Dupontel as a Bankrobber whose life is turned upside down when his family is kidnapped , as he serves a prison sentence after successfully robbing a national bank and gets escape to look for a sadistic killer . Dupontel is one of the only French players who can capably switch from comedian high jinks to noisy action . Furthermore , there appears Alice Taglioni as a tough police woman and the Spanish Sergi Mateu who usually plays in France . Good production design , the prison seen in the film is actually a combination of real locations and adequate sets ; in addition nice rural outdoors and local villages .

Laurent Turner and Luc Bossi , also producer, wrote a moving screenplay filled with surprises , twists and turns . This is a convincing foray into thriller territory for French director Eric Valette . Valette did formidable work in this picture and filming lasted various months . Eric proves that he can handle action sequences with panache, even if he doesn't really bring anything new to the table. Valette is a notorious writer/director who has achieved some successes . Eric Valette was born in 1967 in Toulouse, location where has filmed scenarios for his films . He is a director and writer, known for ¨State Affairs¨ , ¨one missed call (2008), ¨Maléfique¨(2002) , ¨the hybrid car¨(2010) and "The Prey" (2011). A remake of this Eric Valette's 2011 thriller La Proie is in development at DreamWorks and The Hollywood Reporter is saying that James Croker has been brought on board to pen the script , this U.S. adaptation, The Prey, is being produced by Charles S. Cohen.
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