The Last Diamond

... two of the best looking most admired actors in European films today... here their talents are lost, as this production after one half hour can be seen to have serious flaws in the plot-storyline... after the next half-hour they only get more ludicrous

... several reviewers and critics have commented that the chemistry between the two leads is lacking... true or not, it matters little to this movie, as it is not a love story in any sense anyway

... quit watching two-thirds of the way through, and even should the remainder of the story improved 100%, it still would not have been worth the time spent watching.

A French heist and romance drama; A story about a former convict on parole who is tempted into committing one last job by his former partner-in-crime, but the con artist becomes enamored of the woman he is trying to con. This a confidently executed, humorous drama, meticulously staged, with good cinematography and a brassy, jazzy musical score. However, it is an old-school heist story, inessential, with a plot that gets progressively contrived. While the two leads give good performances, which transcend the superficial script, there's not much chemistry between the two leads about their romantic liaison.

I liked it as it did not get too dark, and this is a break from the common thriller fare. Energising score, perfect acting, writing and direction. Beholding the appearance and character of the female lead, absolutely beautiful, is escapism in itself. The story layers upon itself with not so predictable moves, where some parts are a little predictable. But hey, if one wants something light, a balance of predictability and innovation works well.

Thoroughly enjoyed this, and will be honing in on more French films as a result.

If you can get over the initial quite unbelievable premise that auction dealer Julia (Berenice Bejo) would take up some sort of private contract with (impersonating) security consultant Simon (Yvan Attal) with absolutely minimal background checks and then not mention the arrangement at all with any of the board members of her company, you'll probably quite enjoy French heist film, The Last Diamond. Me, sorry it was a contrivance too far and so early in the film. It pretty much reduced everything that followed to the lowest common denominator.

It's a caper piece whose tone abruptly changes from jaunty to rather serious two - thirds of the way through the movie. Sometimes this sort of stuff can work in the best films (Bonnie and Clyde), but mostly it doesn't really hit the mark, as in this feature. Neither does the romantic angle believably happen with the 2 leads, who are competent in their roles, but lack any sort of passionate chemistry together.

It is usually interesting seeing how these Mission Impossible style burglaries and cons play out and things are not really different here. A mitigating factor though is it's never really made clear who's running the show. Every thing seems to hinge on Simon's planning and actions, but he doesn't seem to be a major player and we're never really sure what is motivating him to get back in the game. His buddy Albert (Jean - Francois Stevenin, didn't need to work hard to overcome Simon's initial (I've retired) reluctance.

The storyline attempts to set us up for some third act twists, that really feel more like run of the mill red herrings. There's nothing much unexpected here, though some punters, may appreciate the action quota, being dialled up a notch or two. Eric Barbier directs proceedings in a workmanlike manner and the Belgian locations are very appropriate, seeing Antwerp is often cited as being the "diamond capital" of the world. However though reasonable entertainment, The Last Diamond is a crime caper that is never any where near as polished, as it's titular subject.

History of theft of diamond too well organized which becomes more complicated at the end. Not credible but fun, if you don't count the dead.