Karmapolice
2023 film by Julien Paolini
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
- Manolis Mavropoulos
- Julien Paolini
- Syrus Shahidi
- Marie Etchegoyen
- Syrus Shahidi
- Yann Girard
- Julien Paolini
- Syrus Shahidi
- Alexis Manenti
- Karidja Touré
- Foëd Amara
- Steve Tientcheu
- Hortense Ardalan
- Sabrina Ouazani
| Karmapolice | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Julien Paolini |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Hadrien Vedel |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | DHR Distribution / À Vif Cinémas |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Plot
Angelo is an 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
- 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
Paolini drew inspiration from French comics, including those by Charles Burns, Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Larcenet.[3]
Release
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
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]
