A blend of thriller and film noir in a similar style to David Fincher’s Zodiac, Maldoror, directed and written by Fabrice Du Welz, a Belgian film director, and screenwriter, narrates a story inspired by Affaire Dutroux, a notorious crime case that transformed Belgium in the 1990s. Following the disappearance of two girls, the covert unit Maldoror entrusts Paul Chartier, a youthful and impulsive police officer, with the responsibility of supervising a dangerous sex offender in the Charleroi region.
When the dysfunctional police and legal system unravel the operation, a frustrated but tireless Chartier takes the search for the perpetrator into his own hands. In a hundred-and-fifty-minute film, the audience will follow the details of a crime in which three police forces, including the gendarmerie, local police, and judicial police, do not collaborate with each other to save the kidnapped girls because of the cold war between them. Maldoror is the story of governmental corruption and the restless police force to seek justice.
The French actor Anthony Bajon, who is most renowned for his main performance in the 2018 film The Prayer, which garnered him critical acclaim and the Silver Bear for Best Actor, skilfully embodies Paul Chartier—the stubborn, assertive young man who stands for the right. Paul Chartiers, who is preparing for his wedding celebration with his beautiful wife, Jina (Alba Gaïa Bellugi), is recalled by Lieutenant General Charles to be assigned to Maldoror, the secret unit that has been set up to monitor a dangerous sex offender. Amidst the excitement of the celebration and marriage, the TV announces the disappearance of Cécile and Elina. Paul harbours a strong suspicion of Marcel Dedieu and believes he is responsible for the crime, but the lack of sufficient evidence and the absence of a collaborative spirit within the police forces impede his progress. He has no choice but to devote himself to the case, relying on his genius mind and intuition. However, the closer he gets, the more obstacles he faces from police organisations.
The low-key lighting and grainy coloured footage evoke a sense of suspicion, along with dramatic angles in a remote garage that frame Marcel Ddediue’s brutality with the skillful performance of Spanish actor Sergi López i Ayats, all of which contribute to an authentic cinema noir experience. However, some viewers may find the film’s duration frustrating. The violence, obsession, and mercilessness that Fabrice Du Welz portrays in Maldoror are an inseparable dark part of humanity that uncontrollably manifests in criminals, and the director portrays this on both sides of Paul’s character when he decides to finish the job obsessively or in the manner of the culprits.
Fabrice Du Welz revealed in September 2021 that he was nearing completion of a screenplay for a movie named Maldoror, set to start filming in 2022, right after the release of Inexorable. Domenico La Porta and Du Welz collaborated on the screenplay. Du Welz would, once more, collaborate with producer Jean-Yves Roubin on the project. Fabrice Du Welz described it as “based on the Dutroux case and set in the real Belgium of the 1990s.” However, he stated that his primary objective was to discuss the police and judicial dysfunctions that occurred in this case. Even though the plot was fictitious, he made sure to address these issues realistically. Therefore, the screen does not feature the Dutroux case. Laurent Lucas and Jackie Berroyer, who co-starred in Du Welz’s 2004 psychological horror film Calvaire, are among the secondary actors in the cast.
Maldoror, edited by Nico Leunen with the strength of Manuel Dacosse’s cinematography, combines the taste of reality with cinematic art to show a systemic dysfunction when people are desperate to see the authorities trying to provide citizens safety and solace. The international premiere of Maldoror will take place on September 3, 2024, in the out-of-competition section of the 81st Venice International Film Festival, with WTFilms handling international sales. Furthermore, O’Brother Film is in charge of the film’s theatrical release in Belgium, while The Jokers Films will distribute it in France.
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