BELLEVILLE COP/ LE FLIC DE BELLEVILLE
France, 2018, 111 minutes, Colour.
Omar Sy, Luis Guzman, Biyouna, Diem Nguyen, Julie Ferrier, Franck Gastambide.
Directed by Rachid Bouchareb.
This is an action comedy to put audiences in a good mood (except those who are prone to look down on this kind of action comedy!).
As can be seen from the title, while the location is a region of Paris, the name has echoes of Beverly Hills. And the filmmakers have no apology in drawing from the Eddie Murphy thrillers, with the touches of Eddie Murphy comedy, the Beverly Hills Cop series. The director says there are also the influences from Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte in 48 hours – and there are verbal references to Lethal Weapon.
The film is another example of the work of an odd couple.
Genial actor, Omar Sy, especially remembered from The Intouchables) is Babaa, belongs to the Belleville police force. He is rather happy-go-lucky, has a girlfriend who raises difficulties about where they should live – especially because he lives with his mother. There is a very funny performance by Biyouna as the continually critical mother, demanding on her son, completely transformed when she goes with him to Miami for his further investigations.
In the meantime, there is a grumpy American cop, Ricardo, played by veteran Luis Guzman – who also has problems with his mother in care. He is almost knocked over by a car and pursues the driver who turns out to be a very haughty lady with political connections.
In the meantime, Babaa is having a meal with a friend who is working in the consulate in Miami, with information about drug deals. And he is shot at the restaurant, his friend in pursuit, killing one of the attackers – and later to encounter the other. The decision is that he go to Miami for further investigations of the case. And his mother…
As we expect, he is linked with Ricardo, who is rather despising of Barber and they tangle quite a deal. However, with a lot of comic touches and the clashes of the odd couple, with the support of the officer from the consulate, they begin investigations, Ricardo very serious, Babaa rather enjoying the social life of Florida, and seeing his mother installed in a beautiful house, the attentions of the chauffeur, her being transformed, clothes, make up, personality.
But, there is method in Babaa’s seeming madness, getting a clue about the importation and transfer of drugs from Venezuela to Africa, the cover of a charity for orphans, run by a couple from the African country. Babaa intrudes on a meeting – and the wife of the couple in charge of the charity turns out to be the driver who attacked Ricardo.
Lots of action, lots of complications – and, eventually, the couple going to Africa, where there is been a coup, the police chief very cooperative, more action and in the desert, confrontations, shootouts…
This is not meant to be a serious drama of police investigation but, rather, an odd couple buddy’s action comedy. The writer-director had a strong reputation for serious dramas including Little Senegal, Days of Glory, London River – and this film seems to be the third in a trilogy of films made in America, Just Like a Woman with Sienna Miller and Two Men in Town with Forest Whitaker.
