Let the Corpses Tan (French: Laissez bronzer les cadavres) is a 2017 Belgian neo-western crime film written and directed by Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, based on the novel Laissez bronzer les cadavres by Jean-Patrick Manchette and Jean-Pierre Bastid. The film follows a gang of thieves who, after obtaining 250 kg (550 lb) of stolen gold, arrive at the home of an artist who is caught in a love triangle. The situation quickly escalates into a day long gun fight between police and robbers.
| Let the Corpses Tan | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| French | Laissez bronzer les cadavres |
| Directed by | Hélène Cattet Bruno Forzani |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | Laissez bronzer les cadavres by
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Manuel Dacosse |
| Edited by | Bernard Beets |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | French |
| Box office | $93,409[1] |
Let the Corpses Tan premiered at the Locarno Film Festival on 4 August 2017, where it was nominated for the Piazza Grande Award. The film was theatrically released in France on October 18, 2017, to positive reviews from critics, with many praising the visual style, while others were critical of the narrative structure. It received eight nominations at the 9th Magritte Awards, including Best Film and Best Director for Cattet and Forzani, while Manuel Dacosse won for Best Cinematography.[2]
Cast
edit- Elina Löwensohn as Luce
- Stéphane Ferrara as Rhino, the leader of the gang
- Bernie Bonvoisin as the brute
- Marc Barbé as Max Bernier
- Michelangelo Marchese as the lawyer
- Pierre Nisse as the young man
- Marine Sainsily as Rose
- Hervé Sogne as policeman
- Marilyn Jess as policewoman
- Dorylia Calmel as Mélanie, Bernier's wife
- Aline Stevens as the golden woman
Production
editRelease
editLet the Corpses Tan premiered at the Locarno Film Festival on 4 August 2017.[4][3]
The film received its North American Premiere at the Midnight Madness screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017.[5] It was released in France on 2017 October 18 and in Belgium on 10 January 2018 by Anonymes Films.[6]
Reception
editCritical response
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 75% based on 75 reviews with an average rating of 6.50/10 with the critical consensus reading “Let the Corpses Tan challenges the audience's expectations -- and delivers a singularly stylish, unforgettably unique viewing experience in the bargain.”[7] On Metacritic it has a score of 62% based on reviews from 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]
Neil Young of The Hollywood Reporter referred to the film as "borderline incoherent" stating that after all the double and triple crosses in the film, it was nearly impossible to follow without knowledge of the source material.[3] Allan Hunter of Screen Daily shared similar ideas, opining that the film had "style to burn" and that it was a "a film of almost delirious excess" although he didn't care for any of the characters. He enjoyed the "intoxicating aspect of watching a team so in single-minded and in control of their filmmaking technique. After a while, though, it does start to ring hollow."[9]
Box office
editLet the Corpses Tan grossed $93,409 at the box office.[1]
Accolades
edit| Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magritte Awards[10] | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor | Pierre Nisse | Nominated | |
| Best Cinematography | Manuel Dacosse | Won | |
| Best Production Design | Alina Santos | Won | |
| Best Costume Design | Jackye Fauconnier | Nominated | |
| Best Sound | Yves Bemelmans, Dan Bruylandt, Olivier Thys, Benoit Biral | Won | |
| Best Editing | Bernard Beets | Nominated | |
| Locarno Festival | Piazza Grande Award | Nominated | |
| Warsaw Film Festival | Free Spirit Award | Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ a b "Let the Corpses Tan (2017) box office". Box Office Mojo. August 20, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
- ^ Richford, Rhonda (2 February 2019). "Belgium's Magritte Awards: 'Our Struggles' Takes Top Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ^ a b c Young, Neil (5 August 2017). "'Let the Corpses Tan' ('Laissez bronzer les cadavres'): Film Review : Locarno 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Laissez bronzer les cadavres". 71st Locarno Festival Program & Selections. Locarno Film Festival. Archived from the original on 8 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Let the Corpses Tan". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Laissez bronzer les cadavres!" (in French). UniFrance. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Let the Corpses Tan (Laissez bronzer les cadavres!) (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ "Let the Corpses Tan". Metacritic. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
- ^ Hunter, Allan (4 August 2017). "'Let The Corpses Tan': Locarno Review". Screen Daily. Screen International. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ Heyrendt, Hubert (11 January 2019). "Les nommés aux Magritte 2019 sont connus". La Libre Belgique (in French). Retrieved 13 January 2019.