Paris Lockdown

Introduction

This is Frédéric Schoendoerffer's third film, the final part in a loose trilogy which began with Crime Scenes, continued with Secret Agents and concludes with Paris Lockdown.

Paris Lockdown (aka Crime Insiders) is a gangster film set in modern-day Paris where ruthless godfather Claude Corti (Philippe Caubère) runs a vast criminal empire, with drugs, weapons, prostitutes, stolen cars and forgery.

When he is raided by the police and sent to jail for 3 years, a bloody power struggle to kill him and take over his empire begins.

Video

Paris Lockdown is a very stylish and slickly-shot film with a very good transfer. A lot of thought and planning went into the gunfights, murders and torture scenes which pays off with some great set pieces and a knee-drilling scene that will have you squirming - but the worst is yet to come...

Audio

The Dolby Digital 5.1 French soundtrack is very clear with crisp dialogue and good use of surrounds - especially in the loud club scenes, the gunfights and the airport, where the sound of the airplane going overhead has the walls shaking.

This review disc has burnt-in English subtitles, which isn't a problem for those who don't speak French, but the option to turn them off would be nice.

Extra Features

Trailers for Chrysalis and Eden Log precede the main menu but are skippable.

Diary of Paris Lockdown - this behind the scenes/making of is very comprehensive, lasting about 50 minutes and covering Paris Lockdown from pre- to post-production. In French with English subtitles.

English Trailer
International Trailer

Conclusion

Paris Lockdown is a visceral film about brutal gangsters with scenes of rape, murder and torture, so it's not going to be to everyone's taste. There's a lack of depth and character development - it's a film about gangsters doing what they do, so doesn't have the emotional resonance of classic genre movies like Little Caesar, The Godfather or Goodfellas.

That said it is an enjoyable film that droops a bit in the second half when Claude goes to jail, but is well worth watching if you're even remotely interested in gangster films. It's good to see a European take on a genre that has been dominated by American Mafia films and is an accomplished piece in its own right.