THE ADVENTURES OF
ARSeNE LUPIN aka ARSeNE LUPIN

Year: 2004
UK: CineFile
Cast: Romain Duris, Kristin Scott Thomas, Pascal Greggory, Eva Green, Robin Renucci, Patrick Toomey, Mathieu Carriere, Philippe Lemaire, Francoise Lepine, Jesssica Boyde, Gaelle Vincent, Guilaume Huet, Adele Csech, Aurelien Wiik
Director: Jean-Paul Salome
Countries: France / Italy / Spain / UK
Language: French (English subtitles)
UK: 133 mins
UK Release Date: 9 September 2005 (Limited Release - London and Edinburgh)
(in French)

Synopsis

The celebrated jewel thief of the belle epoque receives fast-paced and inventive treatment from the combined talents of the luminous Kristin Scott Thomas as Josephine, Comtesse de Cagliostro, a darkly seductive adversary and rising star Romain Duris in the dashing title role of Arsene Lupin . Director Jean-Paul Salome (BELPHEGOR, PHANTOM OF THE LOUVRE) orchestrates it all at breakneck speed. Scott Thomas and Duris are captivating in the leads. Her ever-cool demeanour is the perfect fit for this larger than-life literary figure while the lithe, mischievous and debonair Duris obviously relished the chance to swashbuckle his way through French history.

The gems on show came courtesy of Cartier. The stunts and production values are outstanding, especially designer Francoise Dupertuis' evocation of Paris of the 1890s, when many of its well-known monuments were under construction.

Director's Note

Freely adapted from the novel by Maurice Leblanc "The Countess of Caglistro", the film narrates the formative years of this charming and ambiguous character. Though the film is steeped in the culture of the romantic turn of the century, Arsene Lupin will become the modern hero that we all know.

In this new adaptation, that takes us from the cliffs of the Caux countryside in Normandy to the murky Paris of the period, I wanted to reveal some aspects of the young Lupin that had previously remained shrouded in darkness. We follow his sentimental education, but also his will to tackle the whole range of human emotions.
Because even though he chose to live outside the law and turned his back on the moral code of a society in the throes of the industrial revolution, the dashing Lupin, refused to resort to murder to forge his famous image of the gentleman-burglar...