Keswick Film Club - The Night Of The 12th

Synopsis

An edge-of-the-seat police drama for you here, with a difference; it is based on a real case...and one that was not solved. (They tell us this upfront so I am not giving anything away). A young woman is murdered walking home one night. The police begin to investigate but can't find the killer, not because there are no suspects, but because there are so many; Clara was a party animal who liked 'bad boys'. The police are convinced it was an ex-boyfriend...but which one?

In one sense, then, a straight, if well-crafted, 'police procedural' thriller, but the director Dominik Moll makes us realise, without saying anything specific, that there is an underlying concern here. All the police investigating are men; are they judging Clara for her behaviour, blaming the victim for the crime?

The captain, Yohan Vivès , is on his first case, and he does his best - the murder takes over his life - but he cannot see the blind spots in their work. "This is where 'The Night of the 12th' works. When a female judge asks for the case to be re-opened three years later and calls Yohan in to discuss, he says, confusedly, "Something is amiss between men and women." Such a simple word but so eloquent. He knows what's wrong. He can see it in front of him! He just isn't sure how it might apply. The screenplay is excellent (the film won six Césars earlier this year, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Film)." - Sheila O'Malley, RogerEbert.com.