the crimson river be one of the most over directed and over the top and over everything mess i have ever see come out of france . there nothing bad than a french production try to out do film make in hollywood and cr be a perfect example of such a wannabe horror or action or buddy flick . i almost stop it halfway through because i know it wouldn not amount to anything but french guy try to show off . the film start off promisingly and like some sort of expansive horror film and but it quickly shift genre and from horror to action to x file type to buddy flick and that in the end and cr be all of it and also none of it . it so full of clichés that at one point i think the whole thing be a comedy . the painful dialogue and those silent pause and with fade out and fade in just at the right expositionary moment and make me groan . i think only film make in hollywood use this hackneyed technique . the chase scene and with vincent cassel run after the killer and be so over directed and over do that it almost a thing of beauty . the climax on top of the mountain and with the stupid revelation about the killer ( s ) with cassel and reno play buddy like nolte and murphy in 48 hr and completely derail what little credibility the film have by then . it difficult to believe that the director of the crimson river also direct gothika and which though have it share of problem and doesn not even come close to the awfulness of this overbaked and confused film .