This film is based on the 2008-09 carbon-quota scandal that occurred in France, but it's not a white-collar crime film like Wolf of Wall Street or anything of that sort that takes place mostly in offices, banks, courtrooms, etc.
It's more of a street crime film, where the world of street gangs intersects with financial crimes and fraud, along with legitimate businesses, dirty cops and clean ones.
It's an interesting film, but it tackles a subject too big and flies by too fast, making you doubt that some events took place during a week or a month. The sense of time is lost in editing. There's enough material here to make a mini-series (like Les Beaux Mecs, 2011... there are actually a lot of similarities with Les Beaux Mecs) but TV shows are not for everyone.
The production values are high, casting, etc. The only flaw I have with this movie is the editing. There was a scene at the start of the film that should not have been there. The passage of time was also not well shown.
Other than that, I'd give it a 6.5 rounded up to a 7/10.
Plot summary
Danger of losing his business, Anthony Roca, an ordinary man, develops a scam that will become the heist of the century. Overtaken by the crime, he will have to deal with betrayal, murder and settling.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Movie Reviews
A good corruption/crime thriller
A good Olivier Marchal's movie
Carbone is far the best Marchal's movie since "36 Quai des Orfèvres". The plot is simple but quite efficient. Bargain, betrayal, sex and blood. And a good Gerard Depardieu, as is the rest of the casting. I wish I had more twists and a deeper intrigue. 7/10 is a just rating i think
The Good (and bad) life
Crime does not always pay, but when it pays, it pays quite nicely. The thing is, if you watch the movie the beginning is kind of a spoiler, because it's also the end as you can imagine. Does it still work? I would argue that it does, because you get to see how the movie and the characters got to that point. And of course you'll see a bit more than that.
But that part I'll leave open, for you to discover, if you actually want to watch the movie. Criminal life and private life is hard to seperate. But the movie does give you both sides of our main character. The struggle, the craziness and the people around you that may drag you down. It's not always about who's fault something is, it's about "stuff coming around" (as Menace 2 Society put - although with a different word other than "stuff") ...