A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Night of the 12th” (2023).
Original title: La nuit du 12
“The Night of the 12th”, a French language police drama, is a class act set against one of the most scenic backdrops you will see at the movies this year.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Captain Yohan Vivès (Bastien Bouillon) has just taken over as head of the investigation team of the Grenoble Police department. But when a young girl, Clara Royer (Lula Cotton-Frapier), is brutally murdered in a village up in the mountains Vivès finds himself getting emotionally invested in the investigation and increasingly frustrated as any of a dozen suspects might have done in but the evidence is lacking.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: NR. (From the BBFC: “Very strong language, strong injury detail, violence, domestic abuse”).
Talent:
Starring: Bastien Bouillon, Bouli Lanners, Pauline Serieys, Lula Cotton-Frapier, Anouk Grinberg.
Directed by: Dominik Moll.
Written by: Gilles Marchand & Dominik Moll. (Based on the book by Pauline Guéna).
Twitter Handle: #TheNightOfThe12th.
Three years worth of frustration (that is, apart from Nadia! From left,Bastien Bouillon, Paul Jeanson, Théo Cholbi, Johann Dionnet and Mouna Soualem. (Source: Picturehouse Entertainment)
“The Night of the 12th” Review:
Positives:
- What a gripping little film this is! We really get inside the police investigation as we follow Yohan and his team through the twists and turns of the story (which is actually based on a true case). It all feels very real and lifelike.
- All the acting is really good here. As well as Bastien Bouillon in the lead role, Bouli Lanners is very effective as Yohan’s colleague and friend Marceau, battling with his own personal problems that bubble over into his work. And I really liked the performance of Pauline Serieys as ‘Nanie’, the dead girl’s best friend. A scene in a cafeteria where she is vociferously defending the right for Clara to sleep around without judgement is particularly strong.
- And this is one of the interesting social aspects of the film. Clara is indeed very promiscuous, and seems to have shagged just about anything with a penis. So there is an unsaid momentum within the film that she was “asking for it” by taking and discarding men like playthings. This seems to be one of the things playing on Yohan’s mind. As he says near the end of the film to the “tough” judge (played really well by Anouk Grinberg) “there is an issue between men and women”.
- The Grenoble scenery is one of the stars of the movie. The mountain landscapes, beautifully photographed by cinematographer Patrick Ghiringhelli, are stunning.
- I also really liked the soundtrack to this one by Olivier Marguerit.
Negatives:
- No spoilers, but the film really neatly reflects the FRUSTRATION of the police team in investigating the case. And its not unreasonable that some of this frustration rubs off on the poor viewer!
Summary Thoughts on “The Night of the 12th”
An engrossing watch, I really enjoyed this one and would highly recommend it if you can find it in cinemas still. Or, I guess, watch out for it on streaming soon.
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Trailer for “The Night of the 12th”
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJVGC6N-vuk .
