EVIL RISES TO NEW HEIGHTS.
Cops Pierre Niemans and Max Kerkerian (Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel) join forces on two cases that initially seem unrelated; a murder victim is found in a mountain valley and a young girl’s grave is desecrated nearby. The Hate (1995) director delivers a visually very handsome thriller with ingredients that will remind more than a few viewers of Se7en (1995). The story is a bizarre fantasy about gruesome deaths that can be linked to a university in the valley; entertaining and creepy right up to the standard denouement. Clichéd lead characters, but Reno and Cassel are fun to watch as cops who embark on a love-hate relationship.
2000-France. 110 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by Alain Goldman. Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. Screenplay: Mathieu Kassovitz, Jean-Christophe Grangé. Novel: Jean-Christophe Grangé (“Red Blood Rivers”). Cinematography: Thierry Arbogast. Music: Bruno Coulais. Cast: Jean Reno (Pierre Niemans), Vincent Cassel (Max Kerkerian), Nadia Farés (Fanny Ferreira), Dominique Sanda, Karim Belkhadra, Jean-Pierre Cassel.
Trivia: Original title: Les rivières pourpres. Followed by a direct-to-DVD sequel, Crimson Rivers: Angels of the Apocalypse (2004).
