Film Review: Largo Winch (2008)

Comic books are frequently viewed as an exclusively American art form, a perception reinforced by the commercial dominance of Marvel adaptations in recent Hollywood cinema. However, Europe possesses a rich and enduring comic book tradition, exemplified by icons such as TinTin, Asterix, and Barbarella, which have successfully transcended their medium to become global multi-media franchises. One notable European comic series that fits this mould is Largo Winch, created in 1990 by Belgian artist Philippe Francq and writer Jean Van Hamme. Originally stemming from Van Hamme’s series of airport novels commencing in 1978, the property has since evolved into a significant media franchise, having spawned a 2001 television series starring Paolo Seganti, various video games, and three feature films. The first of those is Largo Winch (2008), directed by Jérôme Salle and distributed internationally as The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch.

The film’s narrative structure is intricate, beginning in September 2008 in Hong Kong where Nerio Winch (Miki Manojlović), a Bosnia-born businessman who has built the W-Group into the fifth largest business empire in the world, is killed on his yacht. The plot then deftly switches back to 1981, where Nerio, already a wealthy figure, is seen arriving in his native Yugoslavia to select a boy from an orphanage. The boy is taken to the Dalmatian coast to be raised by a Croatian friend, Josip (Ivan Marevich), and his French wife, Hannah (Anne Consigny). The boy, named Largo, is later adopted by Nerio, though not as a son; rather, Nerio views him as an insurance policy against a hostile takeover of his empire. When Nerio dies, the now-adult Largo (Tomer Sisley) is revealed to be an adventurer travelling the world, ending up in a Brazilian prison after a passionate night with Léa (Mélanie Thierry), a woman claiming to be an NGO activist but who is actually planting drugs. He is sprung from prison by his bodyguard, Freddy (Gabriel Melky), and travels to Hong Kong to attend the W-Group board meeting. There, Ann Ferguson (Kristin Scott Thomas), a company director, warns him that the group is a target for hostile takeover by Mikhail Korsky (Karel Roden), a Georgia-born tycoon and Nerio’s main rival. As assassinations of W-Group staff occur and Marcus (Stephen Waddington), the chief of security, fails to find the perpetrators, Largo discovers that Léa’s real name is Naomie and that she worked for Korsky. However, his journey back to former Yugoslavia unveils a conspiracy far more complicated, deeply entangled with his and his adopted father’s past.

Largo Winch received a relatively large budget for European standards and does not shy away from spending it. The film has been shot in a multitude of different countries, utilising many exotic locations, and its tempo, alongside its spectacular action sequences, gives it an unmistakable flavour of a James Bond adventure. This impression is further enhanced by Alexandre Desplat’s very Bond-like music score, which swells and drives the narrative with a sense of grandeur. Visually, the film is very attractive looking. Apart from the action and exotic backdrops, it features its own equivalent of a Bond Girl in the form of Mélanie Thierry’s character, who appears nude and engages the protagonist in a very steamy sex scene, adding a layer of adult appeal to the thriller genre.

Although only partially shot in former Yugoslavia, specifically Bosnia-Herzegovina, Largo Winch is surprisingly accurate in terms of scenery, props, and other local details for a non-local production. The only potential flaws for nit-picking viewers might be slight inconsistencies in local accents, though these are minor. The Mediterranean locations in Malta and Sicily successfully stand in for the Dalmatian coast, and Serbian actor Radivoj Bukvić has a rare opportunity to play the character of Largo’s adopted brother, Goran, as Croatian Army soldier in a context that does not involve the unpleasantness of the 1990s conflict. This attention to detail helps ground the fantastical elements of the corporate espionage in a recognisable reality.

Yet, for all its attractive sights and sounds, Largo Winch ultimately looks underwhelming because of an undeveloped and uninspired script. The plot deals with complex corporate takeovers, a subject matter that is perhaps too complicated for the average audience, resulting in a narrative that feels rushed and superficial. The bad MTV-style editing, characterised by rapid, fragmented cuts, does not help to clarify the narrative threads but rather adds to the sense of confusion. Furthermore, the casting choices appear questionable; French actor and comedian Tomer Sisley lacks the charisma typically required to carry a blockbuster by his own merit, and he struggles to compensate for the one-dimensional characters played by Kristin Scott Thomas or Stephen Waddington.

Largo Winch actually had quite a potential, and with only a little extra effort, could have been much more effective and even enlightening. Released shortly after the Wall Street 2008 crash, the film could have benefited immensely from the subject of international corporate shenanigans. In light of certain events, it is even more relevant today, as Nerio Winch’s demise in the opening looks very much like the conspiracy theories surrounding the death of the controversial tycoon Robert Maxwell in 1991. The film missed a crucial opportunity to explore the darker side of global capitalism, settling instead for a standard action thriller template.

Largo Winch was nevertheless successful enough to warrant a 2011 sequel, Largo Winch II, which was a failure at the box office. Despite this, the franchise persisted, leading to the release of The Price of Money: A Largo Winch Adventure in 2024. While the 2008 film serves as a competent, if flawed, introduction to the character, it remains a missed opportunity—a glossy production that promised a deep dive into corporate intrigue but ultimately delivered a surface-level adventure.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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