Vidocq

A lavish science fiction fantasy set in 19th century Paris, with Gérard Depardieu as famed detective Vidocq in pursuit of the mysterious assassin, The Alchemist. It's the year 1830 and the commune revolt is about to break in the French capital. Vidocq investigates the mysterious lightening death of three people. As he pursues a mysterious phantom donning a mask of glass in the dark catacombs, he dies in a bitter and ferocious struggle. Etienne Boisset (Guillaume Canet), Vidocq's official biographer, arrives in Paris on the trail of the deadly assassin. The director Pitof is a former film editor and special effects specialist who worked on several French blockbusters such as The City of Lost Children. Indeed, the co-director of that film, Marc Caro, was a chief designer on Vidocq and his wonderfully unique aesthetic is recognisable throughout. For France’s first big budget film shot entirely using digital cinematography, Pitof exploits the endless possibilities of the medium to conjure up a lavish and hallucinatory look to this enthralling fantasy feature.