Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Le Dernier Diamant
(The Last Diamond)

French Film Festival 2017
Greenbelt 3 Cinemas


A seasoned burglar Simon (Yvan Attal) who was just released on parole is persuaded by his partner in crime Albert to join him on another heist. Their target is a rare diamond that is worth millions of dollars which will be displayed during an auction. 

Julia (Berenice Bejo) is the auctioneer and this is her first task after the sudden demise of her mother who inherited the valuable diamond. Enter Simon who disguises himself as a security expert connected with Julia's mother. Soon enough, Julia and Simon become romantically involved which conveniently gives him direct access to his 'prey'.

Yvan Attal, an established French actor who resembles a younger Al Pacino is fairly credible as the wise, charming middle aged thief. While Berenice Bejo who gained fame through the award-winning film, The Artist doesn't really need to do much but be glamorous which is a waste of her talent as proven by her in-depth role in the Iranian/French film Le Passe.

Amidst the luxurious backdrop of a high society event, the story goes beyond a typical heist movie by tackling deception, greed, corruption and redemption through unexpected twists and some intriguing side plots. Entertaining enough for the most part but the need to conclude with a feel.good ending causes what could have been a gem of a movie to lose its sparkle.

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