Excellent cast in dark, restrained 'The Army of Crime'

Director: Robert Guediguian

Cast: Robinson Stevenin, Virginie Ledoyen, Simon Abkarian

From France comes this solid, if eventually low-key, WW2 drama concerning a group of non-French resistance fighters – Poles, Armenians, communists, Jews – who took on the Nazis in the early days of the resistance in Paris.

The low-key element turns out not be a handicap since Guediguian, possible hampered by a low budget, gets much from keeping things simple, certainly a far cry from how Hollywood would have treated the harrowing subject.

Dark shadows, restrained action, narrow alleyways and street corners all add to the atmosphere of fear and menace and an excellent cast helps keep the story realistic.

Star Rating: 4/5