BON COP BAD COP

Canada, 2006, 116 minutes, Colour.
Patrick Huard, Colm Feore, Lucie Laurier, Erik Knudson.
Directed by Eric Canuel.

Bon Cop Bad Cop was very popular when it was released in Canada in 2006. It was a variation on the police roles, an odd couple story, the different personalities of the police, the rivalry, edge with each other, eventually helping each other.

A Canadian film, it was made for both the French Canadians and the English-speaking Canadians, Patrick Huard (who was part of the team for the screenplay and who wrote the screenplay for the sequel) is David Bouchard, French background, Colm Feore is Martin Ward, from Ontario. Each speaks his own language and, depending on where they are in their investigation, that is the language spoken with the other language in subtitles. There are some jokes at the expense of each part of Canada.

There is an initial murder, a body hanging on the road sign between the two areas and arguments about jurisdiction, the superiors deciding this is an opportunity for collaboration. There are further killings, detailed explanation of the doctor performing the autopsy, fights in the bar, some chases, explosions, mysterious voices disguised on the phone. And the background is hockey in Canada, and the potential sale of the Canadian team to Colorado. And that is the motivation for the killings.

There are background stories explained, each visiting the other’s house for a meal, David with his ex-wife and daughter and her ballet recital, Martin and his son who helps when there is a home invasion.

The action is as expected, there is quite a long of coarse language as well as explanations of translations and why the language is used – and a rather gratuitous an unexpected sex scene between David and Martin’s sister. However, it was highly popular at the time – though, surprisingly, it took just over a decade for the sequel. (And the sequel is more entertaining than the original.)

1. A popular entertainment? The Canadian audiences? French Canadians? English Canadians? Audiences beyond Canada?

2. The title, police partners, contradictory methods? Odd couples? One from French Canada? The other from Ontario?

3. The hockey background, the initial comments about sales of Canadian teams to Colorado, media, resentments? The initial murder? The hockey mask? The dead body, on the border between Ontario and French Canada? (And the comedy of argument about whose jurisdiction because of the head and the legs, the ladders, each trying to get the body down, the collapse?

4. The introduction to Martin Ward, at home, his sister and her behaviour, Jonathan, his age? Family life? The later explanation about his wife leaving him for English aristocracy?

5. The introduction to David Bouchard, his ex-wife, his daughter, but their living in the same house? Susie, love for David? But exasperation? The episode with the recital, Gabrielle and her dancing, David arriving late, his hand movements, the applause?

6. The superior officers, French, English, language issues? The opportunity for joint collaboration?

7. The sparring between the two partners? Speaking French in that area, English and the other? Who had the rights of interrogation? Driving? Supervising fights? The comedy, mutual exasperation, yet relying on each other?

8. The aftermath of the autopsy, the expertise of the doctor and his long explanations?

9. The helicopter clue, going to the company, the flirting receptionist, the information, Luc, at the bar, Martin going in, talking, the fight, David at the pool table, eventually helping? And the reversal of roles? Their taking Luc, putting him in the boot of the car? Illegal parking, going to the ballet? The return, the car towed away, the explosion? The later revelation that it was not Luc in the boot but the barmaid who had given the information at the bar?

10. The continued background about hockey and the teams? Luc, his background playing, his jail sentence? His reappearing?

11. The further murders and abductions? Getting the details, the clues? The phone calls, the disguised voice? Abducting Gabrielle?

12. Martin, staying over for the meal, Susie and her liking Martin? David’s reaction? David staying with Martin, meeting the sister, flirting, the sexual encounter? The home invasion? David not hearing? Jonathan helping his father?

13. The television program, the guest not turning up, Martin and David going on with the compere, the figures interactions, the phone call from the killer, mayhem in the studio?

14. The press conference, Martin and David abducting the hockey businessman? In a bag and hiding him?

15. Luc, disguised as a mascot, following Martin, David following him, the shooting, his being put in the boot, the disguised voice giving the information, the threats to Gabrielle? David confronting him with Luc, the murderer shooting him? Martin arriving? With the guns? David’s and the dismantling of the bomb, Martin and his expertise?

16. The pursuit of the murderer? His arrogance? The hockey issue? Utilising Luc as his proxy? His running, the irony of the explosive in his pocket?

17. A successful combination of mystery, action, car chases, fights, solutions?

18. And 11 years until the sequel was made?