DEAR INSPECTOR (TENDRE POULET)

France, 1978, 106 minutes, Colour.
Philippe Noiret, Annie Girardot.
Directed by Philippe de Broca.

Dear Inspector is an entertaining romance – with the unlikely combination of Annie Girardot and the larger-than-life Philippe Noiret. They have an accident, the car bumping into the bike, and remember that they had met twenty years earlier while they were studying at the university. It emerges that he is a professor of Greek at the university but she is very wary of letting him know that she is a police inspector.

While the film tracks their mid-life romance, she has to go on duty, especially when a deputy of the National Assembly is killed. She has to pursue her work as a detective, especially to the dead deputy’s mistress.

The film gets complicated, in a light way when the professor learns the profession of the police inspector.

The stars, at this stage of their careers, had a long experience – which they continued for another thirty years.

The film was written and directed by Philippe de Broca, whose career as a director lasted for fifty years. From the mid-50s to 2004 at his death. He had a long string of light comedies, often adventure comedies – especially in the 1960s with Jean Paul Belmondo, That Man From Rio, Chinese Adventures in China.

1. The quality of this French entertainment - comedy, murder mystery? Popular style, charm? Its acclaim by international reviewers for example ‘Time Magazine’ as one of the ten best of its year?

2. The popularity of the French style and flavour of romance, characters? The importance of nostalgia and the memories of the fifties from the seventies? French manners?

3. The importance of the stars and their personalities and meshing together? A middle-aged romance? The importance of their age, experience, careers? Their memories, regrets, love, opportunities? Strengths and weaknesses, their foibles? How real did they seem in this contrived entertaining screenplay?

4. The film as a romantic comedy and the conventions of this kind of comedy? The addition of the murder and the murder mystery and its investigation? The overtones of political corruption? The conventions of the police film and investigations? How well blended were these ingredients for satisfying entertainment?

5. Audience expectations from the title? The irony of the Inspector being a woman? The film's presentation of women and working in such jobs? Lise ? Annie Girardot’s style? The presentation of the woman as detective, her comments on her training, our seeing her skills, her being in charge, the reaction of the men, their support of her - and her feminine style? The attack on her and her losing her job? Lise as aggressive in her work? Assuming the expectations of the male role? The contrast of her roles with the professor?

6. How well did the film comment on audience expectations of male/female roles and attitudes? The presentation of the heroine as doing a so-called man's work and using an initiative and aggressive style? The professor being much more passive and reacting and an observer?

7. The professor and his style - his teaching, study, recreations, quiet bachelorhood? The passive aspects of his behaviour? His pursuing Lise but his being pursued by her? Expectations of romantic relationships and initiatives - especially the French male? The humour and irony of the reversal of roles and behaviour?

8. The introduction to Lise and audience response to her as an attractive woman, her buying the present, her car, the collision? Seeing her relationship with her mother and her mother's vagueness, her aunt’s presence and arranging things, her love for her daughter? Her relationship to her ex-husband? Parties, outings? The glasses and getting them back to the professor? The humour of her visit to the university? Listening to the choir, the rain, the restaurant?

9. The contrast with the professor, his motor bike, his way of life, his way of teaching? Lise's going into the classroom and the reaction of the students? his love for the choir, singing, the restaurant?

10. Audience response and hope for their growing encounters and their falling in love? Their identifying the past, remembering each other? Hopes, discovery of the truth, the professor being hurt, Lise having to pursue him? The hopes for the holiday away? Lise using her police powers to stop the train? The eventual build-up to the holiday, the falling in love, the hopes for the future? 11. The contrast of atmosphere with the murders? The build-up of the boxing sequence and its contrast with the choir scenes? The build-up to the murder itself and people's reaction? The discovery of the deputy and his fight? The interview with him and his escape? The various theories and seeing the police at work? The chases? The journalists and the way they handled the reporting of the crimes? The nature of the law and the protection of politicians? The further murders? The build-up of the protest and riots? The political meeting and the deputy, very popular, but dead? The political overtones of these murders?

12. The introduction to the girl and her apartment, set-up? The interviews with her, her going through the book of politicians and the realization of the connection between politicians and call girls? Her participation in the investigations - and the humorous irony and satire on the starlet exploiting her sexuality?

13. The contrast with the domestic scenes? The two old women and their fostering the romance? Their having visitors, entertaining the professor? Reaction when Lise was removed from the job and their cleaning the house? The domestic humour?

14. The film's introducing of the janitor rather subtly and without the audience noticing him too much? His help, his information about the factory, his talk to the girl especially in the bath scene? The irony of his being the killer and the confrontation and murder of the first detective? Lise confronting him and the dangers? The professor and the long talk with him where the janitor revealed the torments of his attitude towards the girl? The professor persuading him to be at rest and to give himself up to the police? How well sketched was the character of the janitor through all these phases?

15. The women's liberation themes and the removal of Lise from the job? The humour of her becoming a housewife and cleaning the house? her impulsiveness about the holiday? her initiatives as a detective and getting back on the job? The police clashes, the hostage, the attack and the old man's death? Her taking the initiative and the irony of the professor being the equivalent in other stories of the female hostage?

16. The vindication of the policewoman?

17. The comedy details and audience response to this - the initial accident and the professor hurting his knee and the reprisal at the end? The choir in the rain? The comic aspects of the murder? The professor's anti-police talk in the car to the policeman?

18. The sentiment and humanity of the professor's gentle sharing of thoughts and feelings with the killer?

19. How well did the screenplay bring together the various strands of comedy, romance, mystery with Gallic charm, insight? An authentic presentation of people and their styles and lives, Careers, achievement? A gentle comedy? Illustrating human needs, hope and love?