Laissez Bronzer Les Cadavres (aka Let The Corpses Tan) (2017)

After killing some cops and stealing a truckload of gold bars, a gang of thieves head for the remote Mediterranean villa of a misanthropic artist (Elina Lowensohn) where they plan to hide out. But when the police unexpectedly arrive, it results in a 24 hour bloodbath. Based on the novel by Jean Patrick Manchette and Jean Pierre Bastid and directed by Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani. A homage to the 1970s Italian crime thrillers and spaghetti westerns, I haven't seen a film this pretentious in years! It's not a matter of style over substance, it's style and no substance. The film makers take what could have been a stylish but exciting Tarantino-esque thriller and sabotage it with their artsy pretensions. The film is obsessed with close ups of body parts: lips, eyes, ears, tongues, breasts and close ups of cigarettes, sweat, festering wounds, rotting animal corpses. I love movies with style but that style has to be used toward something however minimal. Here the style calls attention to itself as if the film makers are afraid you won't notice their cleverness. Forget about characterizations, the people here are ciphers, straw dogs to be discarded once they've served their purpose. But I'll say this, it may be borderline incoherent but you won't be bored. With Stephane Ferrara, Michelangelo Marchese, Pierre Nisse and Herve Sogne.