Synopsis
Samula Le Bihan is an ex-con trying to go straight. He and his partner are trying to have anormal life, and trying to have a child. Unfortunately, the old life won’t let go. His youngerbrother is a hot-head looking to make his mark in the organized crime scene, and his best friend(Samy Naceri), the local gang leader, is a little bit TOO attached to him, and is determined to pullhim back into the life.
The scene is very gritty, and the dialogue is extremely naturalis…ic. (This means loads ofcurrent slang.) Naceri’s obsession with Le Bihan recalls the relationship between Paul Bettanyand David Thewlis in Gangster No. 1. The Code doesn’t reach that other film’sheights, however, as the storyline is simply too familiar, and Le Bihan’s character, thoughconvincing, is completely unsympathetic, and the audience finally has little interest in how thingsare going to turn out for him.
Audio
There isn’t much by way of environmental effects on this 5.1 track. The sound effects, whenthey occur, are well placed. The film is largely dialogue-driven, and there is no distortion on thevoices. The volume level could be increased a bit, however. The music sounds just fine,particularly in the inevitable nightclub sequences.
Video
Nice picture, with excellent flesh tones, contrasts, colours and blacks. The 1.85:1 anamorphicwidescreen image is sharp. There is a little bit of grain, more noticeable in the night sequences.All in all, a good transfer, though, nicely capturing the grim, grey realities of the world these wiseguys are moving through.
Special Features
Nothing here but trailers: ones for The Statement, Monsieur Ibrahim andRead My Lips play when the disc loads, while previews of Japanese Story,The Code and The Pact of Silence are accessible from the (basic) menu.
Closing Thoughts
The execution is first-rate. It is simply the story that has been done too many times, andcharacters that aren’t particularly interesting.
Special Features List
- Trailers
