Directed by:
Jérôme SalleCinematography:
Matias BoucardComposer:
Guillaume RousselCast:
Gilles Lellouche, Joanna Kulig, Mikhail Gorevoy, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Aleksey Gorbunov, Elisa Lasowski, Daniil Vorobyov, Judith Henry, Igor Jijikine (more)Plots(1)
Mathieu is a gregarious and dedicated diplomat who accepts a posting to Irkutsk as the head of Siberia’s Alliance Francaise. He hopes the change will be good for his family and struggling marriage, but before long Mathieu’s staging of cultural events and support of artistic expression sees him fall afoul of local authorities. Accused of a terrible crime, he soon realizes someone has fabricated a case with Russia’s Federal Security Service — he has been framed. Arrested, imprisoned and isolated, Mathieu has nowhere to turn. Defending himself is impossible, the French authorities are helpless — it seems he has no choice: to try and escape. (Magnolia Pictures)
(more)Reviews (2)
Conspiracy-hunt-escape. An excellent spy thriller based on true events from France, like a French version of The Fugitive, from the director of the awesome Zulu. Gilles Lellouche finds himself in a very uncomfortable situation. He has been falsely accused of sexually abusing his daughter and the powerful KGB organization is involved. A transfer to a Russian prison with a Section 42 it’s something you don't want. (Too bad most of the film doesn't take place in the prison, it would be properly raw there). There’s no right to a defense, the French authorities are helpless, his only recourse is to escape and pray. I enjoyed this. Lellouche gives his standard quality performance (he reminds me of Liam Neeson), the music is excellent and the tension is palpable in a couple of scenes. A situation no one wants to find themselves in. If you like European conspiracy thrillers, I definitely recommend it. 8/10.
()
As good as France is at comedies, it is equally good at gritty thrillers. Kompromat is an excellent, relentless thrill ride from start to finish. The escape from the KGB of a Frenchman living in Russia, who was falsely accused of paedophilia for reasons unknown is itself fairly gripping stuff, and although it's a little ordinary and mundane, the director is skilled enough to make it an engaging ride with an excellent lead. The film has pace, is suspenseful and never lets you out of its clutches for the entire two hours. There is action, spy shenanigans, a bit of politics and a spectacular escape. This is just good stuff, and I have no complaints.
()