This is an insipidly tedious and vacuous film. No doubt given weight and kudos due to the producers previous efforts... Yes, it is gritty, raw, coarse, ribald, brutal, and all the other supposedly illuminating catchphrases applied to films of this ilk (although, most others do have some redeeming qualities)... Yet, it is also excruciatingly clichéd, naive, formulaic, facile and ferociously fanciful. Constantly falling into the lowly laudable realm of idealised, but totally unfeasible perspective of the human condition often succumbed to by parochial practitioners of supposed blunt realism, who subscribe to being in the know, but are not of the know when it comes to the quagmire of human frailties, foibles and fabrications implicit in the worlds of those with fractured lives.
From the outset this film is void of any insight. Preferring to present blank faced obstinance, sullen sanctimony, wilful indifference, contrived violence, and gutter imagery to pad out what could only loosely be called a story. Considering the talent at his disposal (the brilliant Marion Cotillard for one,) the producer has forgone any opportunity for character development, depth of emotional exploration, or even a remote semblance of projecting a believable portrayal of the leading protagonists. In its way, although not overtly obvious, this is a silly, sickly sentimental film for those who would feel violently affronted at the suggestion of watching such a thing... a trend which has been going on for some time now, and will no doubt continue to do so!
Though totally lacking in scope, the film will surely play into the misguided hands of those who want to believe in the mythological nobility and underlying sensitivity of thugs, which gets reinforced by the vulnerability of a certain kind of woman, who purportedly can see and bring to the fore those noble inner qualities invisible to all others.
While typing this review the thought that has constantly been reverberating through my mind is; "Sometimes we need to shoot less film and more producers!"
Tingnan pa 
