A Gang Story

We’ve got high hopes for this French gangland thriller from Parisian cop-turned-director Olivier Marchal, who nobly rehabilitated an aging Gérard Depardieu with 2004’s 36th Precinct. That film’s knotty plot was bound by a tight script – a compelling spin on tired crooked-cop themes – played out among the unglamorous Parisian underbelly. Marchal returns to similar themes in A Gang Story, a flash-back heavy look at the life of real-life criminal Edmond ‘Mamon’ Vidal. The ’70s mobster is played here by Gérard Lanvin, best known for a supporting role in France’s last big gangster film, Mesrine: Public Enemy #1. All the ingredients are in place, we’re just waiting to taste the brew.