Rivals

If Rivals was an American film, there would be a clearly-laid out narrative arc, enlivened by frequent action sequences and with perfunctory love interest. Being French, it's actually more of a character piece, that rambles across time and space. The complex relationship between Gabriel (the elder, criminal brother) and Francois (the younger brother, who's a policeman) is the main focus but the film also pays attention to the details of frictional family life, petty crime, and how love can change a person. The film is set in the 1970 and looks of that era. It's dingy and colourless, with grainy, handheld camerawork and sequences divided by slow fades to black. The low key approach suits the meandering story. There may be car chases, robberies and murders but they happen in a matter-of-fact manner. Just one more incident in the lives of the brothers. The father adores his elder son, while the younger seethes with a mix of brotherly love, indignation and outright anger as Gabriel appears to slip back into his old ways. For a change, the female characters are no mere afterthoughts. The sister, girlfriends, ex-wives are fleshed out, and a pleasing amount of attention is paid to their emotional reactions. The ending itself, while actually clearly signposted, still comes as a shock, which is entirely in keeping with the restrained approach of the rest of the film.