When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Firstly, I've not read the novel, nor seen previous adaptations of this famous French yarn. Therefore, I had no preconceived ideas or notions, nor could I compare it. I saw it on the excellent satellite TV French film channel, Cinemoi.French films are often low budget, intimate and charming relationship dramas. This, however, is as big budgeted, grand and sweeping as any Hollywood fare, with a superbly rousing score from British composer Debbie Wiseman. The opening scenes are dashing and daring and sets one up for an exciting film. If you thought that only the Brits can pull off a decent period drama, then this, with its superb cinematography will have you swooning.Romain Duris is suitably dark'n'dashing as the hero in question and Kristen Scott-Thomas, whom I've not always liked, plays Joséphine, the comtesse de Cagliostro that he is seduced by. Lupin's antics, with daring stunts and disguises then start to roll into each other and the story became less clear for me, though it always retains its rollicking fun and adventure.Whether or not, this version is faithful to the original, or is any better or worse than the previous film versions (one of which, from 1932 starred John Barrymore) I cannot say. For me though, I was pleasantly and solidly entertained and whilst it lost ground in the middle for me, I enjoyed it.

I just finished watching this movie and I'm pretty surprised with all the low ratings. Sure it was a little confusing, but this was probably due to the fact that I could only watch this movie in french with french subtitles knowing very little french and, despite this, the only part of the movie I didn't really understand was the ending.I don't really have any complaints about the acting or anything. Some people were complaining that it was unrealistic the way he stole womens jewellery right off their neck without them noticing and sure it's "fake" and all, but it's a movie.I'm not really that much of a Lupin connoisseur so I can't really comment on how loyal it was to the books and such. I enjoyed the movie although it was a little bizarre and at times perhaps a little cheesy, but I still think this is worth watching.

As is often the way if you try to be everything to everyone you wind up being nothing to no one. Assuming that we actually needed another take on this character - who, especially in France, has been as well documented on celluloid as Sherlock Holmes, Maigret, Raffles or even Tarzan - then we could have started with someone a tad more credible. Romain Duris is one of those actors (Vincent Cassell and Benoit Magimal are others) cursed or blessed depending on your point of view with a built-in insolent, arrogant expression that probably makes certain females roll over and play dead but makes me reach for the sick bag. The script does him no favours by jumping about like a Time Traveller and invoking echoes of The Maltese Falcon and The Da Vinci Code via a Masonic cum Knights of Templar outfit and crucifixes instead of black birds. On balance it's risible more than thrilling and/or scary which is the wrong response to this type of fare. As others have remarked here the viewer is constantly conscious of time passing non-fruitfully.

I really had to laugh out loud at some of the complaints about this movie. It is really a mystery to me how someone paying attention to the movie could be confused by it? And while I admit indeed that there was more story and story twists in this movie, then in maybe 5 "great Hollywood productions" such as Spiderman put together...well, that's a part of the books, too! When reading a Lupin book it is never advisable to get used to things staying as they are! Arsene Lupin himself is one of the most dynamic characters that ever existed! I watched this movie at the Fantasy Film festival, and I enjoyed it immensely. So they took some story bits from different books, who cares? The story is nevertheless continuous and quite understandable, if one is ready to apply a bit more brainmatter to it than to ..say.."The Hulk"! The costuming and setting was splendid, and the whole tone was very fitting for the time in which it is supposed to play. Of cause no movie will ever truly incorporate all that is Arsene Lupin, it is simply impossible. Not just because of the different medium, but also because of the growing difference in thinking that characterizes the current time and the time in which it was written. The idea of a brilliant and gallant master thief itself will stay the same, but the habits, interaction with society's members and all that are so definite and important for Arsene Lupin, that leaving them in might confuse the mass audience, and leaving them out would destroy the Character. If anyone wants a Lupin for current times they may look for Lupin Sansei (supposed to be his grandson^^), and Simon Templar might be a sort of poor substitute, too. However, the original Arsene Lupin is a legend of his own time, and that description should make matters clear for anyone. oh, and the 9/10 is because indeed some of the effects were executed a bit poorly, especially the odd "zoom" at the aiguille creuse.