Case 137
After 2022’s The Night of the 12th, Cannes is once again graced with a crime film bearing a numerical title from Dominik Moll – this time featured in the competition lineup. However, pemiere was somewhat overshadowed by news that one of its actors had been banned from attending due to ongoing legal proceedings and allegations – a particularly unsettling coincidence, given that he portrays one of the accused in the story’s central case.
Having left her post in the Narcotics division in favour of the more predictable hours of internal affairs, Stéphanie (Léa Drucker) now investigates fellow officers. Most days, this means showing sympathy for the pressures they face and quickly dismissing claims of misconduct. But when the mother of an injured young man comes forward to press charges against the brigade that shot her son during a demonstration, Stéphanie suddenly finds herself on the other side of the struggle.
In painstaking detail, Case 137 (Dossier 137) sets out to show just how Sisyphean a task it is to combat institutional abuse from within. At first, it teeters between the weight of its message and the occasionally uneven way that message is delivered. The script offsets its heavy, poignant lines with moments of humour – particularly in scenes where we see Stéphanie off-duty. Léa Drucker is such a skilled actress that she makes these tonal shifts feel seamless, but other performances aren’t as polished. The initial segments involving evidence collection feel rather dry, and are not helped by static medium shots that frame actors stiffly as they sit through office interviews.
On the flip side, there is a consistency to the visual language, which becomes more interesting once more people enter the frame – for instance, in a sequence set in the Parisian metro. The events of the night in question are shown via cellphone recordings or CCTV footage, enhancing the sense of discovery.
Ultimately, the film succeeds in accomplishing the tasks it sets for itself: educating the public on the entangled systems designed to protect those in power. Still, Case 137 feels better suited to television than to a festival celebrating cinematic excellence.
Selina Sondermann
Case 137 does not have a release date yet.
Read more reviews from our Cannes Film Festival coverage here.
For further information about the event visit the Cannes Film Festival website here.
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