The Connection (2014)

The Connection is a movie starring Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche, and Céline Sallette. A French police magistrate spends years trying to take down one of the country's most powerful drug rings.

Director:

Cédric Jimenez

Writers:

Audrey Diwan (screenplay), Cédric Jimenez (screenplay)

Stars:

Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche, Céline Sallette

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Dujardin	...	Pierre Michel
Gilles Lellouche	...	Gaëtan 'Tany' Zampa
Céline Sallette	...	Jacqueline Michel
Mélanie Doutey	...	Christiane Zampa
Benoît Magimel	...	Le Fou
Guillaume Gouix	...	José Alvarez
Bruno Todeschini	...	Le Banquier
Féodor Atkine	...	Gaston Deferre
Moussa Maaskri	...	Franky Manzoni
Pierre Lopez	...	Jean Paci
Eric Collado	...	Robert
Cyril Lecomte	...	Marco Da Costa
Jean-Pierre Sanchez	...	Fabrizio Mandonato
Georges Neri	...	Charles Peretti
Martial Bezot	...	Le Gitan

Storyline

A French police magistrate spends years trying to take down one of the country's most powerful drug rings.

---

Plot Keywords:

magistrate | police | drugs | pistol | corpse | 

---

Taglines:

Marseille 1975. To stop a dangerous drug lord, you need a dangerous cop.

---

Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, drug content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Gaumont [France]

Country:

France Belgium

Language:

French Italian English

Release Date:

15 May 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Connection

Filming Locations:

Corniche Président John Kennedy, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont, Légende Films, France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Gaumont animated opening logo is the 70's one.

---

Goofs

In opening scene, when motorcyclist shoots man in Mercedes through windshield, it shatters like side glass. Windshield should crack and have bullet holes, but safety glass laminate will still stay basically in one piece.

---

Soundtracks

The Snake
Performed by 'Al Wilson'

User Reviews

Superb Period Drama – the real 'French Connection'

This is the other half of the story of seventies classic - 'The French Connection. Jean Dujardin ('The Artist') plays Magistrate Pierre Michel who in 1974 gets promoted to deal with organised crime in Marseilles. Gilles Lellouche ('Mea Culpa' and 'Mesrine') plays the drugs uber lord 'Tany' – who rules with an iron fist and any other implement that can come to hand. He runs a crime network that includes night clubs, casinos and restaurants and will do anything to keep what he has and make tons more cash

This is one of those times when crims made so much money that they could buy their way out of trouble – even before they were in it. So inevitably Michel has more than the crooks to do battle with. It follows the story from the mid seventies and into the eighties and it is one helluva ride.

The period detail is excellent, the cars, fashions and the music are all spot one – even the decor. There is violence and plenty of potty mouth goings on, but it is all in context. It is also a stylish film that means that most shots are great to look at as well as being intensely entertaining. This is a film that should get a lot more attention and if you are a stranger to French cinema it may be a good one to start with to see just how well they can make them.