Movie review: Blood, diamonds and 60s excess in “Reflection in a Dead Diamond”

Hold on for a cine-club rollercoaster in which 60s genres crash head-on

There are referential movies – and then there is “Reflection in a Dead Diamond/Reflet dans un diamant mort”. This lush, fragmented, breakneck movie charts an ageing spy’s recollections of his past, triggered by the disappearance  of a pretty neighbour.

The references? French and Italian B-movies from the sixties and seventies, Tarantino, spy movies and more. It is dizzying, often confounding and leaves the viewer reeling with the possibilities about what they have actually watched.

The twin directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani clearly must have wasted their youth in video shops. Not only are the many references pitch-perfect, they are incredibly broad. We have echoes of Fantomas, slasher movies, Sergio Leone, mysterious rich people, some opera, the art world, a stash of diamonds, X-ray vision, a car chase, double dealing and fancy sword-work.

The story, for what we can make of it, involves an ageing spy (Fabio Testi) trying to make sense of his past, seen through the younger eyes of the suitably dashing Yannick Renier. Except, maybe he wasn’t an actual spy – and maybe he’s living out an elaborate daydream, or maybe he’s an ageing actor rather than an actual spy. Or something else.

All these rabbit holes are held together by robust performances from Testi and Renier. The audience is hardly given the time to realise how improbable most of what we are seeing is before the next onslaught of blood, diamonds and black leather.

Psychedelic climax

Suspension of disbelief is hardly even an option as we go from one combat scene to the next, with script rabbit holes (or plot holes) cheerfully appearing and disappearing.

The overall impression is of a period piece pushed to an almost psychedelic climax.

The characters don’t have time to develop or display anything but the most basic emotions. Until, that is, the end approaches and the arrival of a mysterious lady that could well be the female antagonist many years later. Cue a touching dénouement where the pair finally connect and all is explained? Don’t count on it.

“Reflection in a Dead Diamond” was premiered at the Berlinale festival and is on general release in Belgium for the moment.

Genre Action · Mystery · Thriller

Written and directed by Hélène Cattet · Bruno Forzani

Produced by Pierre Foulon

(Michael Leahy: Photo: Kazak Films)