Largo Winch (2008)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Jérôme Salle

Writers:

Philippe Francq (graphic novel)
Julien Rappeneau (writer)

Release Date:

17 December 2008 (Belgium)

Genre:

Adventure | Thriller

Plot:

After a powerful billionaire is murdered, his secret adoptive son must race to prove his legitimacy, find his father's killers and stop them from taking over his financial empire.

Plot Keywords:

Based On Comic | Based On Graphic Novel | Based On Comic Book | Hong Kong | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Tomer Sisley	...	Largo Winch
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Ann Ferguson
Miki Manojlovic	...	Nerio Winch
Mélanie Thierry	...	Léa / Naomi
Gilbert Melki	...	Freddy
Karel Roden	...	Mikhail Korsky
Steven Waddington	...	Stephan Marcus
Anne Consigny	...	Hannah
Radivoje Bukvic	...	Goran
Nicolas Vaude	...	Gauthier - the butler
Benedict Wong	...	Wiliam Kwan
Gérard Watkins	...	Cattaneo
Wolfgang Pissors	...	Attinger
Theodore Thomas	...	Greenfield (as Ted Thomas)
David Gasman	...	Alexander Meyer

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English | Serbo-Croatian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | Dolby SR | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB

Filming Locations:

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Company:

Pan Européenne Production

Trivia:

The film is mainly based on the first two albums of the comic book series, with elements of the next two also included.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Meyer (David Gasman) is sitting in his office, there is a blue pocket square in the chest pocket of his suit. In the next scene, when he enters the council room, the pocket square has gone.

Movie Connections:

Version of Largo Winch: The Heir (2001) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Wire To Wire

Nice shot, but...

Who doesn't know Largo Winch in the France-Belgium-Luxemburg trio (the three countries where the French "BD" or "Bandes Dessinées" are massively published) ? 18 years after the publication of the first comic book, which is itself an adaptation of a series of novels, it HAD to be adapted on screens. After a first - and failed- attempt with a TV show, the real thing begins.

First of all, and that's what most of the fans didn't get, the goal of this movie is not strictly to adapt the comic book series. Some essential parts, characters and actions of the original are missing. The movie itself offers an alternative and more modern version of the series. As a 1st class-fan of the comic book, I must confess I was nicely surprised. The actors are good, so is the scenario, though it might seem too fast. I thus recommend this movie to all those interested by financial/political thrillers, but it is clearly not an alternative to James Bond or Jason Bourne series as I could read over the internet.