Les marchands de sable (2000)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Pierre Salvadori

Writers:

Nicolas Saada (writer)
Pierre Salvadori (writer)

Release Date:

5 July 2000 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Cast

Mathieu Demy	...	Antoine
Marina Golovine	...	Marie
Serge Riaboukine	...	Alain
Patrick Lizana	...	Xavier
Guillaume Depardieu	...	Stéphane
Michèle Moretti	...	Annick
Robert Castel	...	Damien
Yann Hnautra	...	Marc
Renaud Ménager	...	Pierre
Julie Depardieu	...	Catherine
Blandine Pélissier	...	Cliente du bar
Camille Bazbaz	...	Singer at club
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mathieu Archer	...	Le policier 1
Baldo	...	Le cuistot du Détour
Aude Briant	...	La prostituée
Didier Brice	...	L'homme à l'enveloppe
Erwan Creignou
Mohamed Damraoui	...	Le client joueur
Gérard David	...	Le barman de la boîte de nuit
Anouk Halter	...	La caissière du Multicolor
Patrick Kodjo Topou	...	Gaby, le dealer
Patrick Lambert	...	Le vigile du multicolore
Janice Leca	...	Orchestre Choriste
Florence Mazure	...	La cliente ivre
Sophie Millet	...	La secrétaire de Damien
Christian Monthieux	...	Orchestre Percussions
Vincent Montignon	...	Le jeune inspecteur
Armelle Morlan	...	La cliente Rotonde Hébertine
Igor Nikitinovski	...	Orchestre Clavier basse
Serge Pinson	...	Simon, le mari d'Annick
Yarol Poupaud	...	Orchestre Guitare
Christiane Prince	...	Orchestre batterie
Olivia Razafnorakoto	...	Orchestre Choriste
Antoine Régent	...	Le policier main courante
Alain Zita	...	L'inspecteur de police déposition

Also Known As:

The Sandmen (International: English title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Certification:

France:-12 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud)

Company:

Agat Films & Cie

Trivia:

This movie was first released on French-German TV channel Arte in a shorter version under the title Le détour (2000) (TV).

enter sandmen

When it comes to pen and produce genuine comedies such as "Cible Emouvante" (1993), "les Apprentis" (1995) or "Comme Elle Respire" (1998), Pierre Salvadori is a reliable supplier of the genre. "Les Marchands De Sable" is his first foray in the film noir genre and one could have feared that by plumping for a totally different cinematographic choice, it might have led on an artistic deadlock for him. There's nothing of the sort. This endearing director wasn't on the wrong track and his venture is every bit as successful as the crop of graceful comedies he left us. I can only write that he well assimilated the film noir methodology.

The director cleverly employs the scenery and lighting (in several shots, he admirably plays on the opposite between light and obscurity) to conjure up a stifling, sticky atmosphere and storytelling, barely soothed by a somewhat jerky reggae music. Under his camera, this popular neighborhood in Paris with the two cafés as the central places conceals bribery, injustice, drug traffic and formidable evil forces. Gloomy features that deftly integrate in a shrewd development of the narration with zones of shadow: was Antoine's death a willful murder or an accident? Strong scenes command admiration: the walk of Antoine in the street shortly before his death, the moment when Annick (Michèle Moretti) unveils to Alain (Serge Riaboukine) what lies beneath the calm appearance of her bar. All in all, virtually all the characters are more victims of a devilish system that inevitably leads to death or madness.

The cast lives up to this dusky film noir. Guillaume Depardieu and Serge Riaboukine had already teamed up with Pierre Salvadori before and once again, one can't deny their strong acting.

The golden age of the film noir in France was in the forties and fifties with two prestigious names: Henri-Georges Clouzot and Julien Duvivier. Nowadays, this genre isn't that much pored over by French directors and good French film Noirs tend to be more and more rare. So, it would be a shame to skip it Pierre Salvadori's work that doesn't break new ground but is made with care and respect.