Review of Mea culpa

Simon was a police officer in Toulon until he was involved in a car crash, after a bout of heavy drinking, which left three people dead. He went to prison and his marriage broke down but he finds himself working with his old partner again after his young son witnesses the latest killing in a drug related gang war. These thugs will stop at nothing to eliminate any witnesses but Simon, and his friend Franck, will do what it takes to stop them.

If you are hoping for gritty realism you are likely to be disappointed; but if you want lots of action then you could do a lot worse. There are chases, both on foot and in cars, fights and shootouts. It all leads to an impressive final confrontation aboard a train as numerous killers close in on Simon and his family. This action is pretty exciting and at times quite brutal. Vincent Lindon and Gilles Lellouche do in impressive job as Simon and Franck; their characters have a good chemistry and make their characters feel real. The final scene does feature an unexpected, and to my mind unnecessary, twist although it didn't spoil my enjoyment of what had gone before. Overall this is a solid thriller; I'd certainly recommend it to fans of the genre.

These comments are based on watching the film in French with English subtitles.