Diksha Sundriyal
Starring Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy, 2024’s ‘The Killer’ brings a new twist on John Woo’s classic 1989 film. The remake, also directed by Woo, follows the story of an assassin named Zee who has earned quite a reputation for herself by never missing her targets. If she is sent to kill someone, that person will certainly die. This is why, when a girl she was sent to kill survives, questions are raised about Zee’s intentions. For her, killing an innocent girl who has lost her eyesight doesn’t match Zee’s moral code, and this doesn’t please her employers.
Moreover, an incorruptible police officer, Sey, is on her trail and won’t stop until he has the culprit behind bars. Because Zee is such an elusive person, Sey has to rely on the places frequented by her. A tailor shop and a Turkish restaurant are among those locations. SPOILERS AHEAD
Maison Tessier and Tezïr Express are Fictional Locations in Paris
‘The Killer’ employs several real locations in Paris to add authenticity to the city’s character in the movie. However, Maison Tessier and Tezïr Express are not among those locations. While there is a real French business with the name of Maison Tessier, it has nothing to do with the one depicted in the movie. The real-life business is more focused on deco and accessories and is not a tailor shop. The similarity of its name with the tailor shop where Zee gets her slick clothes is purely a coincidence.
To incorporate Paris in all its colors, the filmmakers took to several outdoor locations like the Plateau Urbain neighborhood. For the interior scenes, however, they used facilities like Studios de Paris and Studios Dark Matters, which is where the scenes regarding the tailor shop would also have been filmed. Woo wanted to present the authenticity of Paris in the story and revealed that his desire to shoot the film in Paris originated from his admiration for French crime films, which he wanted to pay tribute to while presenting a new version of the story that he had made more than three-and-a-half decades ago.
The actors also resonated with the director’s vision for the film and how it plays incredibly well into the story. The original is set in Hong Kong, but with the remake, Woo wanted to bring a change of scenery, which led him to Paris. Nathalie Emmanuel talked about how the director has tried to experiment with new things this time, especially by exploring different settings and characters within a similar plot frame.
While Maison Tessier and Tezïr Express might not be real places, they become an important part of Inspector Sey’s investigation to figure out who Zee is and how to catch her. The restaurant comes into the picture when it is revealed that Zee regularly visits it to get her lunch. Even though she is pretty cautious about her movements, lest someone catch her, she slips when it comes to certain habits. In the same vein, she is a regular at Maison Tessier, from where she gets all her clothes. It isn’t just about her attire but also the affection she feels for the old tailor that turns him into her confidante and a family-like figure. Their bond exhibits Zee’s vulnerability and sets her apart from other ruthless killers.
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