Jean Dujardin won Best Actor for breathing new life into silent
film in The Artist, but
for the most part his roles here in America have been flimsy supporting turns.
It's a shame because he's capable of so much more. He's got classic good, old
school Hollywood good looks that have served him well in numerous comedic roles
(the OSS 17 spy movies are great), but they
work even better as the dashing cop hero in Cedric Jimenez's epic crime drama, The Connection. That title
stems from the legendary Corsican drug operation famously explored in William
Friedkin's classic, The FrenchConnection, and this is one time where comparison proves to be a
double-edged sword.
Jimenez has a much larger canvas to work
with than Friedkin saw any need for; the latter shooting for a much leaner and
meaner story. The Connection is all flash and '70s-style chic, the wardrobe and
vehicle budget alone must outpace its predecessor by a country mile. But
there's also a considerable amount of bloat that could have been trimmed to
make for a more concise, and thus more effective, gangster drama. It certainly
begins in brisk fashion with a blisteringly effective montage showing
Marseilles mob's complicated infrastructure. Drugs flow in and out of the city
without the cops ever getting a clue, much less getting a bead on the
organization's head, Gaetano Zampa (Gilles Lellouche). That is until magistrate
Pierre Michel (Dujardin) gets promoted from juvenile court up to the organized
crime division, based on his compassion for the drug-addicted youths he
encounters every day. We learn Michel is a reformed gambling addict with a wife
and two kids we know he'll eventually alienate, because that's how these things
tend to go for cops who put the job first. 
While the familial turmoil feels old hat,
it gives a little more insight into Michel beyond his being the incorruptible
hero. Of course he's perfectly fine with bending a few rules to get what he wants,
and begins putting the screws to Zampa's operation. If that means cracking a
few skulls, forging a few warrants, and even planting evidence, Michel is
willing to do it. What he won't do is take a bribe, even when approached by
Zampa's men with a lucrative offer he finds a clever way to put it to
charitable use. Outside of their obvious ideological differences, Michel and
Zampa have far more in common than either realize. Both are devoted family men,
but they command a small group of colleagues who don't always have their best
interests at heart. Zampa may be the head of the snake but his associates
have fangs, too. And of course it isn't long before Michel discovers the depths
of corruption in his own unit. Michel's pursuit of Zampa takes us to the upper echelons
of French society; from the nightclub circuit to the halls of government. It's
a sprawling ride, and Jimenez struggles to keep the energy up for long
stretches. There are simply too many characters, mostly Zampa's murderous
associates, that Jimenez tries to follow and it takes us away from the
cat-and-mouse chase we're truly invested in. 
The Connection makes for an interesting flipside of the coin to The French Connection showing the other side of the drug
war, and those with an interest in Friedkin's film will enjoy the expanded
look. Jimenez, who also co-wrote the screenplay, is taking most of his cues
from the works of Scorsese, while one can see the influence of Michael Mann's Heat and even a little bit of The Godfather for good measure. He even has a
clearly Heat-inspired
moment when the two rivals meet face-to-face for a chat, and while the actors
acquit themselves well it doesn't feel totally necessary and proves pointless.
Jimenez has certainly chosen the best mob flicks to emulate, but The Connection works best when charting its own
course.
Rating: 3 out of 5
