DramaCrimeThriller

The Emperor of Paris

- Fugitive. Detective. Legend.

Paris, France, early 19th century. The legendary convict François Vidocq lives in disguise trying to escape from a tragic past that torments him. When, after an unfortunate event, he crosses paths with the police chief, he makes a bold decision that will turn the ruthless mastermind of the Parisian underworld against him.

Release Date : 2018-12-19

Language :French

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : France 2 CinémaGaumontMandarin ProductionFrance 3 CinémaSCOPE PicturesCN6 ProductionsActes Prolétariens120 FilmsEntourage PicturesCanal+Ciné+France TélévisionsBNP Paribas Fortis

Production Country : BelgiumFrance

Alternative Titles : The Emperor of Paris

Cast

Character Name : Vidocq

Original Name : Vincent Cassel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Henry

Original Name : Patrick Chesnais

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nathanaël

Original Name : August Diehl

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Baroness

Original Name : Olga Kurylenko

Gender : Female

Character Name : Maillard

Original Name : Denis Lavant

Gender : Male

Character Name : Annette

Original Name : Freya Mavor

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dubillard

Original Name : Denis Ménochet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtaud

Original Name : Jérôme Pouly

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Duke

Original Name : James Thierrée

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fouché

Original Name : Fabrice Luchini

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mehmet

Original Name : Fayçal Safi

Gender : Male

Character Name : 'Fleur d'Épine'

Original Name : Antoine Lelandais

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pelissier

Original Name : Frédéric Fix

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charles

Original Name : Némo Schiffman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Poitou

Original Name : Lucien Belvès

Gender : Male

Character Name : Farge

Original Name : Maxime Lefrançois

Gender : Male

Character Name : Perrin

Original Name : Antoine Basler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran

Original Name : Fabien Orcier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gendarme at Bicêtre

Original Name : Jérôme Cachon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Letallec

Original Name : Régis Maynard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maid

Original Name : Anne Seiller

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bourgeois

Original Name : Hervé Masquelier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Henchman

Original Name : Philippe Mamolo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Thief

Original Name : Michaël Perez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prostitute

Original Name : Solène Delannoy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Landlord

Original Name : Thierry Nenez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Henry's Servant

Original Name : Rémy Giordano

Gender : Male

Character Name : Usher at Fouché's Office

Original Name : Franck Mercadal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Convict at Bicêtre

Original Name : Vincent Haquin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prisoner at Bicêtre #1

Original Name : Patrick Médioni

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prisoner at Bicêtre #2

Original Name : Nicolas de Lavergne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prisoner at Bicêtre #3

Original Name : Emmanuel Brochet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Solicitant Marquis

Original Name : Hervé Falloux

Gender : Male

Character Name : Martial

Original Name : Pascal Loison

Gender : Male

Character Name : Redhead

Original Name : Maxime Motte

Gender : Male

Character Name : Camelot

Original Name : Philippe Beautier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Orchardman

Original Name : Manuel Guillot

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man at Chez L'Ami Guillotin

Original Name : Richard Sammut

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guard at Bagne of Toulon

Original Name : Jean-Michel Vovk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Butcher

Original Name : Xavier Pottier

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier

Original Name : Olivier Peynot

Gender : Male

Character Name : Merchant's Customer

Original Name : Marie Utreh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Napoleon Bonaparte

Original Name : Mark Schneider

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marshal of the Empire Michel Ney

Original Name : Jean-François Richet

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-03-06

“Vidocq” (Vincent Cassel) is thriving amidst the underworld of Napoleonic France but having been wrongly convicted of murder and escaped from captivity, is keen to go straight and earn an amnesty from the government. That might be possible, but for that to happen he is going to have to co-operate with the embryonic Sûreté and help track down some insurgents. Needless to say, when rumours start to flow that he has turned his coat, the fraternity that was once his safe source of his anonymity now starts to make his life even more dangerous than his new task. Historically, this has it’s roots in an actual man who was instrumental in setting up a French national police force, but as this goes, we are presented with a great looking drama that’s really lacking in depth or characterisation. Save for a few potent appearances from Fabrice Luchini as the cynically duplicitous minister Fouché, the underused but still useful August Diehl’s duplicitous Nathanaël and an enthusiastic effort from James Thiérrée as the dashing, cavalier-like Duc de Neufchâteau it’s all a rather pedestrian affair that seems to imbue Vidocq with a certain degree of implausible immortality. Perhaps it is just simply trying to condense too much history into two hours but we never seem to get to know any of these folk; to get even the most basic understanding of what drove them nor of how precarious the whole French empire was at the time. It also tries too hard to involve us in half-cooked internecine plots that aren’t properly explained or put into context, and so might as well be a few stand alone (and sometimes quite repetitive) episodes of “The Three Musketeers” meets “The Count of Monte Cristo”. Cassel does own the part and the production designers and the armourers have done a great job creating a dark and gritty environment for this history to unfold, but believe it or not it can almost verge on the dull at times. There’s a solid ensemble cast backing things up, but it’s ultimately a bit of a meringue of a story - lots of topping but not much underneath.