CRIMSON RIVERS really surprised me (1 Viewer)

[Richard_Huntington]

I had heard that the script was problematic and the film not very satisfying, but I disagree. I was into this film from the very start and didn't even answer my phone midway through. It's a great thriller, masterfully directed and photographed. The transfer is outstanding.
Just avoid the English dubbed soundtrack.
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"My wife actually prefers widescreen"

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

I really liked this movie, but I'd love to see the director get a solid script because his work was outstanding. And I didn't mind the English dub that much, since it sounded like the principle actors did their own voices.

 

[Vincent Matis]

I had heard that the script was problematic and the film not very satisfying, but I disagree

I, for myself, agree (partly) with this statement, the movie was much more successful at setting a dark atmosphere, somber mood than telling a story. The problem is that production was started without a complete script. They couldn't wait otherwise the weather would cause major production problem (snow, no visibility) and they might have to wait a full year.
Furthermore, a lot of explanations/backstories were to be given in the first scenes (Jean Reno arrival on the first crime scene). They shoot the first part as planned, but when they came to shoot the second part of the scene the day later, it had snowed during the night. Because the scenes wouldn't match, they had to scrap huge portions of this scene. They then had to move the explanation that should have be given in the now "defunct" scene elsewhere, in a following scene.
Since the script is so dense, it caused a "snowball" effect (no pun intended

): the "first" explanations were moved to the following scenes, the explanations initially planned in these scenes were then moved to the following... and so on...
All this is explained in the wonderful (and candid) documentary and commentary on the French R2 DVD...
Vincent
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AFI Top 100 Films Home Theater Forum Challenge
AFI Movies Left To Watch: 34 33 32 31 30: Sound Of Music (3.5 out of 4)

 

[Richard_Huntington]

It was a great documentary, but I still loved the film. I found it to be very tense and entertaining. It looked like a Hollywood level production, as the technical aspects were just superior to most foreign films I have seen.
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"My wife actually prefers widescreen"