Stylish and adequately intriguing, the film, nevertheless, doesn’t quite stick the landing. But it’s close.

Gabriel Laurens (Olivier Rabourdin) has one of those pricelessly shaggy faces; every misstep of his life is told through the craggy wrinkles and stray whiskers. Not surprising, then, that Gabriel is a small-time detective, making a living by trailing and photographing cheating spouses. A bottle is never far from reach

When his niece, Jade (Louise Leroy), shows up at the door to tell him that her father, Gabe’s twin brother François, has died, he is curious enough about his estranged twin, the one who Mom liked best to assign himself the case to investigate what dark shenanigans may have led to his brother’s untimely demise.

 Jade and Gabriel become something of a team, setting out on a road trip to the Spanish border. François lived an opulent life there in a mansion, but the seedy underworld isn’t easy to penetrate.

If there are twin in a movie, I guess it’s an unwritten rule that one has to pretend to be the other at some point and you guessed it, Gabriel poses as his dead twin, getting as deep under as possible without screwing everything up.

This Neo-Noir, as I say, has points for style and atmosphere and even the lead actors are amiable and make us care about them. I just wish the narrative had come together more satisfactorily- so I could have raised my hands in triumph instead of giving it a polite golf-clap.

The Other Laurens | In Theaters and VOD Platforms for Rental