Chrysalis (2007/I)

Director:

Julien Leclercq

Writers:

Julien Leclercq (scenario and dialogue) and
Franck Philippon (scenario and dialogue) ...
(more)

Release Date:

31 October 2007 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Some Memories Can Never Be Forgotten

Plot:

In the near future Paris, a cop is searching for his wife's killer. The trail leads him to a high tech medical clinic where everything is not what it seems. |

Plot Keywords:

Medical | Future | Hairy Chest | One Word Title | Mind Control

Cast

Albert Dupontel	...	David Hoffmann
Marie Guillard	...	Marie Becker
Marthe Keller	...	Professeur Brügen
Mélanie Thierry	...	Manon Brügen
Claude Perron	...	Miller
Alain Figlarz	...	Dimitri Nicolov / Danis Nicolov
Smadi Wolfman	...	Sarah
Patrick Bauchau	...	Charles Becker
Guy Lecluyse	...	Kovacs
Cyril Lecomte	...	Le légiste
Francis Renaud	...	Yuri
Manon Chevallier	...	Clémence
Estelle Lefébure	...	Clara
Mika Cotellon	...	Malik
Andy King	...	Gianni
Sébastien Libessart	...	Infirmier
Patrick Hamel	...	Jacques
Virginie Jaspart	...	Aide-soignante
Rémy Roubakha	...	Opérateur Europol
Claudia Tagbo	...	Infirmière
Alex Waltz	...	Agent DST 1
Franck Goumah	...	Agent DST 2
Aline Tcheou	...	Interprète chinoise
Olivier Vergès	...	Assistant Brügen
Baptiste Leclercq	...	Fumeur peep-show
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Susanna Brisk	...	Mikayla's mom

Directed by
Julien Leclercq

Writing credits
Julien Leclercq		(scenario and dialogue) and
Franck Philippon		(scenario and dialogue)
Nicolas Peufaillit		(participation) and
Aude Py		(participation)

Produced by
Jean-Philippe Blime	....	executive producer
Franck Chorot	....	producer

Original Music by
Jean-Jacques Hertz
François Roy

Cinematography by
Thomas Hardmeier

Film Editing by
Thierry Hoss

Casting by
Franck Jouard

Production Design by
Jean-Philippe Moreaux

Art Direction by
Alexis McKenzie Main		(senior art director)

Set Decoration by
Sandra Conti
Gianfranco Protopapa

Costume Design by
Fabienne Katany

Makeup Department
Elisa Angiulli	....	makeup artist
Annalisa Bellucci	....	makeup artist
Silene Monti	....	makeup artist
Simone Pasqualini	....	makeup supervisor
Mélanie Queyrel	....	additional makeup artist
Françoise Quilichini	....	key makeup artist
Chloé Van Lierde	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Philippe Desmoulins	....	production manager
Marie-Paule Ester	....	assistant production manager
Stéphane Riou	....	assistant unit manager
Bernard Seitz	....	production manager
Tourdjman Valentin	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pascal Salafa	....	first assistant director
Olivier Vergès	....	second assistant director
Aurélie Jasnot	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Clément Chapelle	....	assistant property master
Jeanne dit Fouque Damien	....	graphic design
Florent Maillot	....	property master
Olivia Martin	....	maquettiste
Katell Rolland	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Lucien Balibar	....	sound
Julien Bourdeau	....	dialogue editor
Nicolas d'Halluin	....	sound recordist
Pascal Dedeye	....	foley artist
Franck Desmoulins	....	sound editor
Daniel Gries	....	foley artist
Sylvain Lasseur	....	sound editor
Alexis Leverve	....	co-sound mixer
Alain Lévy	....	post-synchronization
Vincent Montrobert	....	sound editor
Joël Rangon	....	sound re-recording mixer
Valerio Stirpe	....	sound
Jean-Alexandre Villemer	....	sound recordist
Stéphane Vizet	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Olivier Afonso	....	special effects makeup
Simone Pasqualini	....	special effects makeup

Visual Effects by
Odile Beraud	....	scan and shoot
Emmanuel Chapon	....	modeling supervisor
Annie Dautane	....	visual effects producer
François Dumoulin	....	Flame artist
Luc Froehlicher	....	cg supervisor
Guillaume Laforge	....	3D digital artist
Bruno Maillard	....	visual effects supervisor
Michael Marques	....	Flame artist
Matthieu Royer	....	animation supervisor

Stunts
Laurent Alexandre	....	stunts
Oumar Diaoure	....	stunt coordinator
Alain Figlarz	....	fight choreographer
David Genty	....	stunts
Laurent Larrieu	....	stunt coordinator
Laurent Larrieu	....	stunt coordinator: divers
Franck Merenda	....	stunts
Sébastien Peres	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Jacques Ballard	....	submarine camera assistant
Fabrice Bismuth	....	first assistant camera
Elodie Boulard	....	camera trainee
Thomas Brémond	....	still photographer
Fanny Coustenoble	....	second assistant camera
Jean-François Dubut	....	cable camera technician
Jan Gagnaire	....	grip
Pierre Garnier	....	key grip
Laurent Héritier	....	gaffer
Gary Pachany	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Alain Souffi	....	submarine cinematographer

Casting Department
Géraldine Mouton	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandrine Douat	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Fabrice Blin	....	colorist
Frederic Jupin	....	digital conformation
Philippe Reinaudo	....	digital intermediate technical director
Géraldine Rétif	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Amélie de Chassey	....	music supervisor
Delphine Mathieu	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Ghislaine Cauet-Martinotto	....	production assistant
Rachel Corlet-Soulier	....	script supervisor
Françoise Della Libera	....	production administrator
Romeo Julien	....	avid conformation

Production Companies

• Gaumont (co-production)
• TF1 Films Production (co-production) (as TF1 Films Production)
• Sofica Sogécinéma 2 (in association with)
• Canal+ (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)

Distributors

• Gaumont (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Gaumont Video (2008) (France) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Christal Films (2008) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Klock Worx Company, The (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• MFI (2008) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Deltamac Entertainment (2008) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (France) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"Installer" - Japan (English title)

Runtime:

94 min | Canada:91 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18A | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | France:-12 | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Gaumont

Movie Connections:

References A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Lots of style, little substance

There are many ingredients of the cyberpunk genre in this film, which is why I was looking forward to see it. Unfortunately, it is a weird mix and while Leclerq obviously has a flair for aesthetics, he would have been better off letting someone else write the script.

Albert Dupontel, better known as an actor and director of comedies, continues his recent transition to more "heroic" roles. Here, he has amazing presence and physicality playing David Hoffmann, a hard-nosed cop. Unfortunately, the script is so bad, the direction so poor, that sometimes you just can't believe his lines or behavior.

His character is not the only one lacking development and substance. Everyone surrounding him looks even more like a walking cliché. Marie Guillard lacks credibility as Becker, Hoffman's pretty rookie partner. Veteran actor Marthe Keller plays a doctor with an agenda and recites her uninspiring lines without conviction. Alain Figlarz is intensely physical as the movie's main goon but as a villain, again the script doesn't sell him very well. There are many other characters we equally do not care about. Apparently, in the future, every woman in the police department will be a pretty girl who looks unfit for the job.

So, if the plot is terrible, the characters uninteresting and their lines ridiculous, why exactly does it deserve a 5 rating? Well for one, there are martial arts scene in the pure tradition of Bourne. the context in which they happen is silly but their execution is actually flawless and they are pulse-pounding. Kudos to Dupontel here. He delivers big. The rendition of a Paris in the not-so-distant future is also beautiful. It's mostly interiors (few outside shots) but you do get a nice feel of what could realistically be the future. It's extremely stylish and European. Speaking of which, the photography here is very good.

What you're left with is a movie that combines elements of techno-thriller, noir and sci-fi and takes itself very seriously. Unfortunately, it's not done well enough. When your scenario lacks credibility, a good way to save it is by injecting something else. Irony, humor or romance. But Chrysalis never does that. And the action is sparse enough that we notice it's flaws.

I hope Leclerq will pursue his career but I'd rather he directs and let someone write.