In The Beginning (À l’origine)

Director: Xavier Giannoli

Writer: Xavier Giannoli

Cast: François Cluzet, Gérard Depardieu, Emmanuelle Devos, Brice Fournier

Country: France

Synopsis: The film is based on the true story of a smalltime crook who built a highway.

Round-Up: Xavier Giannoli's film tells the true story of a small-time conman whose latest scheme brings hope to a depressed community. Time Out's Geoff Andrew certainly wasn't a fan, noting that "it would be hard not to make an interesting movie from such material, but Giannolli has almost succeeded in doing so... There are good moments along the way, but as the film finally embarks upon its last half-hour, it goes spectacularly off the rails." Neither was Screen's Mike Goodridge, who said the film "is crippled" by "an extreme running time of 155 minutes which dilutes rather than strengthens the message of the story and will have even the most patient cinephiles shifting in their seats." The U.S. trades were much more impressed. Variety's Boyd Van Hoeij said the film "blends social critique, character drama and crime into one smooth, good-looking package," while The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt strongly disagrees with Goodridge in particular saying the film "whisks by in no time," and comparing it to "The Music Man" and "Being There."