Product Details

• Actors: Emmanuel Salinger, Thibault de Montalembert, Jean-Louis Richard, Valérie Dréville, Marianne Denicourt
• Directors: Arnaud Desplechin
• Writers: Emmanuel Salinger, Arnaud Desplechin, Noémie Lvovsky, Pascale Ferran
• Producers: Grégoire Sorlat, Nicole Arbib, Pascal Caucheteux
• Format: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Fox Lorber
• DVD Release Date: August 24, 1999
• Run Time: 139 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1572525983
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,324 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "La Sentinelle" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A medical intern finds himself drawn into a world of international intrigue after discovering a shrunken human head in his luggage.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Head Games....., December 22, 2003

By	L. Shirley "Laurie's Boomer Views" (fountain valley, ca United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review refers to the DVD(Fox Lorber)edition of "La Sentinelle"......

Mathias, a reserved, quiet student of Forensic Pathology, is returning to France after completing his studies in Germany.Before reaching Paris, he is stopped for what seems to be a routine but threatening border check. After being questioned by a mysterious agent, he is found to be harmless, he is released,and as far as he's concerned it's over and done with...that is until he finds a very unusal item in his luggage...a human head!

At first he is so taken aback by his discovery, he can hardly think what to do. But eventually, being trained in Forensic Medicine,his curiosity gets the best of him and he puts his talents to work to piece together this mysterious puzzle. Curiosity soon turns to an obsession that has Mathias, spending every waking moment on this "project". At times, it almost seems like he is a sentry, standing guard over it. His findings also involve him deeply in political intrigue that has now turned him into a target for the French Secret Service.

It's a terrific French thriller, but not in the way you may think by looking at the cover art of the DVD. You won't be jumping out of your skin by frightening images.It's more of a suspenseful psychological thriller,along the lines of something like "Three Days of the Condor". Director Arnaud Desplechin expertly keeps you involved and intrigued every step of the way.The marvelous cast includes Emmanuel Salinger, Thibault De Montalembert and Jean-Louis Richard, all turning in excellent performances.

The DVD presents a very nice picture, and good sound in DD2.0 surround. It is in French with English subtitles and you will also find filmographies on several of the actors.

If you are in the mood for something French, something suspenseful, or something different..check this one out.
Get the popcorn ready and enjoy....Laurie

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Subtle, symbolic, February 6, 2004

By	Daniel S. Russell "syzygy121" (Blacksburg, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The son of a diplomat (read espionage agent) chooses to become a pathologist and in turn treats the individuals he meets with more dignity and respect than the world of diplomats that surround him.

Mathias is not easily shaken, as one imagines a pathologist would be. Caught in the middle of international espionage, he acts with confidence and consistency, keeping the spies at bay while he hurries to identify the head that has come into his keeping.

The film has a subtle yet deliberate pace that weaves romance and light-humor in with some very macabre content -- reflecting Mathias' own life. This is not an easy story to dissect. In the confusing post-cold-war world, everyone is uneasy it seems, except a humble pathologist.

I was left wanting a bit more resolution, not of plot but of characters. Still it is a charm all its own that makes it worth watching again.

I can't even begin to imagine how an American director would butcher this delicate story -- so many little details that would be brushed aside for suspense or gore or sex. I can see Ben Affleck now in a high-speed espionage thriller...that completely misses the point.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Real French Bore !, April 29, 2006

By	Richard G. Melli ", Dean Emeritus" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A poorly made film, unfortunately. The story-line has much potential but the direction has taken it from a potentially entertaining film into the ranks of the "French Bores of the Year" !