Direction: Dominik Moll
Country: France
Based on real events, Case 137 follows the investigation of a case involving a clear abuse of power by the French police during the Yellow Vest protests in Paris. IGPN investigator Stéphanie Bertrand, coldly portrayed by Léa Drucker, encounters antagonism on all fronts. She is seen as a threat by her devious coworkers, who routinely cover for one another and lie with impunity, while failing to earn the trust of both complainants and witnesses, who must contend with delays in the process and, worse still, the dismissal of cases despite the evidence. All this leads to frustration and inner conflict.
German-French director Dominik Moll (With a Friend Like Harry…, 2000; The Night of the 12th, 2022), who co-wrote the screenplay with Gilles Marchand, orchestrates everything through cautious gestures and an understated narrative approach. Yet the film’s tonal paleness is matched by a lack of dynamism in its staging.
Somewhat premeditated and formally unremarkable, Case 137, which was nominated to Palme D’Or in Cannes and , was not quite what I expected, failing to surprise and leaving a nagging sense of incompleteness.
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