After a slow start, UGC high-tech period/fantasy title Vidocq has attracted over 740,000 admissions in its first five days, topping the French charts at Sept 23

The $21.4m (Ffr152m) title -- a first film by SFX specialist Pitof, which stars Gerard Depardieu and Guillaume Canet and was entirely digitally produced - is followed by another French film, surprise hit Une Hirondelle A Fait Le Printemps, which sold over one million tickets in its third week.

Swordfish, which could not pass Hirondelle (a first film by Christian Carion starring Michel Serrault and Mathilde Seigner) in its first week, had to be content with the third slot in its second week. The Warner Bros title was followed by Planet Of The Apes (over 3.6 million admissions in its 5th week) and Blow ranking only fifth in its first five days.

Along with Vidocq and Hirondelle, three other French titles were in the top ten films at Sept 23, including Amelie (over 7.6 million tickets sold and still in the top ten in its 22th week), comedy Absolument Fabuleux and family drama Comment J'ai Tue Mon Pere.

While the French box office is characteristically dominated by US titles in the second half, French productions have resisted the summer onslaught this year, with the local market share still standing at a strong 41% at Sept 18.