The Code ('02) 2002, Rated R Sony

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A Sony release. Written by Manuel Boursinhac and Bibi Naceri; directed by Manuel Boursinhac; starring Samuel Le Bihan and Samy Naceri. Released to DVD on May 11, 2004.

One of the more interesting debates that I often have the opportunity in which to participate is the discussion about what makes a good film critic. My response is always the same: a good critic is one who can express his ideas and opinions clearly and back them with examples from the given movie.

It’s a very simple and hands-off perspective on the matter. This often riles some of the conversation’s other participants. When I ask them what their take on the subject is, I am usually greeted with a panoply of statements all revolving around the same single issue. They want a film critic who isn’t holier-than-thou who remembers what it’s like to be a fan and who will not be picky about the little things like the lighting, acting or plot points. In other words, they want a film critic who has not seen hundreds, if not thousands, of movies in his lifetime.

It’s a Catch-22 situation because in order to become a knowledgeable writer on the subject of film critics have to see hundreds, if not thousands, of movies. Which always enables me to ask the following. Is it the job of a critic to ignore his own personal biases and not compare similar movies with one another? Or is it the job of the filmmaker to make a concerted effort to create a vibrant and original project that doesn’t instantly engender comparisons to other projects? My vote is on the latter.

In this respect, co-writer/director, Manuel Boursinhac has failed miserably with his latest film, The Code.

Set in Paris, The Code is the story of a Dris (Samuel Le Bihan). Just released from a five-year stay in prison, the thirty-something Dris is determined to keep out of trouble. He takes a real (read: menial) job at a loading dock, lifting things, stays out of harms way and focuses his time on creating a family with his longtime girlfriend, Lise (Marie Gulliard). Dris’ best friend, Yanis (Samy Naceri), has other ideas. Intent on recapturing the fun and glory of the crimes they committed during their twenties, Yanis pesters Dris incessantly to come back to the dark side. Dris sticks to his word of keeping on the up and up… until his younger brother angers the wrong gangster. Dris instantly leaps back into the fray and goes on to show the other criminals what it means to be a real thug.

Stereotypical and formulaic, The Code is a horribly uninteresting movie that seems as though it were based upon that famous line of dialogue from The Godfather, "Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in again."

If there’s a more overused or inescapable convention in cinema than the criminal who is trying to go straight, I’m not aware of it. That plot description gives even the retiring detective working one last case a run for its money. And Boursinhac does very little to make his version of this story original in any respect. The main characters, Dris and Yanis, are given little depth and fewer personality traits. Dris doesn’t want to get involved again with Yanis’ activities and his past lifestyle. Yanis is the kind of sociopath, loose-cannon that seems like he would make an absolutely terrible mob boss in real life, constantly thinking with his fists, shooting his guns when he’s done thinking. He’ll sort it all out later, come hell or high water.

With few reasons to identify with either Dris or Yanis, it takes an effort to care about this movie. The only person to whom it’s relatively easy to relate is Dris’ long-suffering girlfriend, Lise. She is the only character who seems somewhat fleshed out; granted this is because she’s the only character who is obviously working towards a goal–getting pregnant–but it remains true nonetheless. So when Dris picks up with an old, gypsy girlfriend from his old life, it serves only to further alienate the audience from the supposed drama at the heart of this project.

Boursinhac does employ a number of stunning camera setups and definitely shows a marked appreciation for the cinematic art in The Code. Sadly this only serves to illuminate the disconnect between the director’s (and project’s) potential and the below average final cut.

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