Although widely recognized as a screenwriter, he was behind the scripts of famous titles such as “Above the Law”, “Maternal Instinct” or “Les Miserables”, the Franco-Chilean Giordano Gederlini had the construction as a pending subject, especially after his erratic debut, ‘Samouraïs’. Now he’s back with “Between Life and Death” which marks the debut of Antonio de la Torre from Malaga in a project in French, well sponsored by Olivier Gourmetone of the great Belgian performers, as well as the ethereal Marine Vacth, who changes her career with an action role.
Gederlini plays his cards from the beginning, opening up several unknowns, which he will reveal little by little. His presentation fascinates from the beginning, with a perplexed Antonio de la Torre witnessing how a young man with his whole life ahead of him throws himself on the subway tracks where he works as a driver. A scene that shows a series of actions and consequences that will be revealed little by little, such as for example the fact that the 20-year-old suicide, Hugo, is the son of the protagonist, Leo Castaneda.
With a beginning that feeds the mystery, Gederlini begins, who also signs the screenplay an adrenaline-pumping game of cat and mouse with a certain film noir atmosphere, in which De la Torre becomes a sort of improvised anti-hero who recalls his interpretations in “Late for Wrath” and “Che Dio pardon”, in which he becomes a man devoured by the desire for revenge, with extreme resolutions and with sequences that show a surprising coldness in the face of violent situations. In the case of “Between life and death”, The Malaga-based actor reveals even less information about Raúl Arévalo and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s films, raising expectations for his intentions and, above all, for his background.
This is where two actors who know how to respond to the man from Malaga, Marine Vacth and Olivier Gourmet, come into play. In the case of the former, he surprises with a much tougher and more physical role than his previous big screen work. Once an ethereal beauty in “Young and Pretty” and “The Double Lover”, Vacth displays a mood similar to that of Laetitia Casta in her more daring roles. The actress displays a strong character that opens the door to a range of characters very different from what she was used to. She on the other hand she is Gourmet actor, consecrated who dazzles in his brief appearances. A multifaceted interpreter, the Belgian once again shows extraordinary versatilityin which it is capable of transmitting naturalness even in extreme situations.
Antonio de la Torre also dazzles in French
Gederlini creates a thriller with a film noir soul in which he enters the Brussels underworld to tell a classic tale of revengein which De la Torre ends up incarnating as a man devoured by the torments of the past, who in his revenge for the death of his offspring seeks a sort of catharsis that helps him to be able to look at himself in the mirror. There was no better actor for the role of Goya’s winner for “Azuloscurocasinegro” and “El Reino”.
Secondly, De la Torre surprises with surprising spontaneity when speaking French, even though he plays a Spaniard living in the Belgian capital, which allows him to express himself with his own accent. What’s more, no one would say he didn’t know how to speak it before the movie. With ‘Between life and death’ he also shows his muscles as a European star, being, in fact, the cinema in French a more ambitious field than cinematography for a star who could very well be Isabelle Huppert’s male counterpart when it comes to actingbecause they both manage to make spontaneous the most unexpected, brutal and extreme.
“Between Life and Death” is a notable thriller, with which Gederlini removes the thorn that was his first failed film and shows talent for making genre films. A story that hypnotizes thanks to its protagonists, as well as its technical section, with a sublime photography, the work of Christophe Nuyens, who shows his ability for the feature film after taking charge of series photography such as’ Riviera ‘,’ Versailles ‘,’ Baghdad Central ‘or’ Lupine ‘. In addition to an accurate scenography, signed by Eve Martin, and a soundtrack composed by Laurent Garnier, which elevate a story of strong suspense, which is a new triumph in the career of Antonio de la Torre.
Note: 7
The best: Antonio de la Torre’s ability to transform something brutal or extreme into an action that seems normal to the character’s logic.
Worse: Its final part is too predictable.
Source: E Cartelera
