Despite doing nothing wrong formally, Je Suis un Soldat struggles to delve any deeper than the surface in terms of character, motivation and theme.

Je Suis un Soldat‘s portrayal of black market dog-selling is an interesting one, and yet we never find out why its characters do what they do; so cold and distant is our connection to them that by the third act audiences will struggle to care.

Well-performed, and competently directed, Je Suis un Soldat’s drama is gripping in the moment, but a lack of narrative empathy renders it fairly forgettable soon after.

A difficult film to define, individual reactions to Je Suis un Soldat will depend on your ability to form any sort of emotional reaction to its sense of coldness.

RATING: 2/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Jean-Hugues Anglade, Louise Bourgoin, Laurent Capelluto

DIRECTOR: Laurent Larivière

WRITER: Laurent Larivière

SYNOPSIS: A woman finds work at a kennel and unwittingly becomes involved in illegal dog trafficking.