Sleepless Night

An exhaustingly frenetic French action film that manages to blow all of the elements of a drug-deal-gone-bad cop drama deliriously out of proportion while still avoiding unintentional parody, filmmaker Frédéric Jardin's Sleepless Night's chain reaction of carnage and chaos is sparked when rogue cop Vincent (Tomer Sisley) and his partner pilfer a giant bag full of cocaine from local mob boss Marciano (Serge Riaboukine) and are caught in the act. Next thing you know, Marciano has kidnapped Vincent's son and threatens to waste him if Vincent doesn't return the stolen blow, pronto. Vincent's son is being held at Marciano's nightclub, which becomes the most exciting (and dangerous) place in town when a couple of seemingly non-corrupt cops descend on the club while tailing Vincent—making the job of retrieving his son much more complicated. By the time the film reaches its haywire conclusion, any distinctions between bad cops, good cops, and drug dealers have all been completely obliterated. Highly recommended. (M. Sandlin)