Film: Diamant noir

Diamant noir is neither a fugazi nor a gem. The Frenchman Arthur Harari can look back at a decent directorial debut, but if he wants to make a name for himself, his next film will have to be much smarter.

If you want to continue the sometimes forgotten tradition of French crime films (Melville, Duvivier, Verneuil, Clouzot!), it is best to be outstanding. Niels Schneider (from Xavier Dolan’s Les amours imaginaires) plays Pier Ulmann, a petty thief from Paris seeking to avenge his father’s death and unhappy life, which was ruined by a rich Antwerp diamond family. In Antwerp, Pier realises that the case is more complicated than he thought, and he discovers that he has talents that are perfectly suited to the diamond sector. This sector is more than mere backdrop. Its distinctive culture is finely woven into the plot. The death of a pigeon is a scene that certainly makes Jacques Audiard jealous, but the strong finish does not entirely compensate for the schematic and sometimes choppy plot development.



DIAMANT NOIR
FR, BE, dir.: Arthur Harari, act.: Niels Schneider, August Diehl, Jos Verbist, 115 min.