36 QUAI DES ORFEVRES

France, 2004, 112 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Auteuil, Gerard Depardieu, Andre Dussolier, Roschdy Zem, Valery Golino, Daniel Duval, Frances Renaud, Catherine Marchal, Milene Demongeot, Aurore Auteuil, Olivier Marchal.
Directed by Olivier Marchal.

A complex police thriller from a writer-director, Olivier Marchal (who appears as the excrim, Christo) who spent some time working for the police force in Paris. The title of the film is the address for the main bureau.

This is a film that is continually on the move. It portrays in exact detail a robbery on a freeway in the early morning. It shows a stakeout to trap the thieves – which is botched and leads to disaster. It has a vigorous finale.

But, it is also a drama of character clash and is served particularly well by its two stars, Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu (who had appeared together almost twenty years earlier in the classic Jean de Florette).

Auteuil is the up and coming detective, special squad, who is in line to become chief. However, he is a man of action and a risk-taker. He and his squad share a strong bonhomie (with which the film opens) as well as unorthodox methods that would be subject to investigation. He has many good friends in the underworld. Depardieu is also on the short list for commander but he is a taciturn loner, unpopular, claiming to work by the book. The clash is complicated because Auteuil is married to the woman (Valeria Golino) who used to be with Depardieu.

When they are assigned to the same case, Depardieu’s crass decisions lead to mayhem in a siege and the death of a popular member of the squad. The men turn their backs on Depardieu at the funeral.

In the meantime, there is a further ingenious plot complication when a murderer out on leave just before his release is able to con Auteuil with promises of identities of the thieves but compromises him in establishing him as his alibi for his killing of an informer – who worked for Depardieu. This leads to more complexity involving Auteuil’s wife and daughter.

The two central characters are fascinating, Auteuil as the tough cookie who becomes victim, Depardieu as the power-hungry, imagination-lacking Javert-type who succeeds – but at great cost.

1.Interesting and entertaining? Police work, corruption, society? The comparisons with American versions of this kind of story (like Michael Mann’s Heat)?

2.Authentic, atmosphere, the 1990s, Paris, the locations? The director’s work as a policeman in Paris?

3.Editing and pace, dark photographic style, the use of the wide screen? Musical score?

4.The tone, the opening with the motorcycles, the street placard, the prank and the police dinner, the toasts, friendship, tribute to Eddie? Intercutting with the other cycles, the club, the brutality of the two brothers and their assault on Manou?

5.The gang and the robbery, the vehicles, the staging on the bridge, the early hours of the morning? The brutality towards the guards? The quick taking of the bags of money, the dead guard on the road?

6.The police arrival, the details of their work? Leo and Denis and their presence, rivalry? Eve and her beginning her work? Explanations about the rivalry?

7.Leo in himself, his age and experience, leading the anti-gang squad, seeing them at the toast for Eddie, the boisterous friendship of the group, tough? Leo and the possibility for promotion? His not wanting it? The rivalry with Denis – and Denis wanting it? Mancini and his comments about the two of them and Denis wanting power? His relationship with his wife, with his daughter? The scenes at home? The irony of his wife having been with Denis in the past? His work as a policeman, the pressures, the squad, his going to see Manou and learning who attacked her? His tenderness with her, the friendship with Cristo? Getting the name, attacking the brothers, the fall from the window and his not being injured? The group taking another suspect to the cemetery, the digging of the grave, stripping the man – and shooting over his head? How reprehensible were their techniques?

8.Denis in himself, his past, a Javert sense of duty? Mancini’s comment that he wanted power? His presence at the robbery scene, his own wife, the past with Leo’s wife? His gathering information, the possibility of his promotion, his discussions with Leo?

9.Mancini, his role, the police bureaucrat, his authority, pressures on him, his dealing with Leo and the squad, wanting Leo to take his place? His handling of the rivalry? His being seen as sitting on the fence? His later stepping down, his discussions with Leo about his prison situation? Leo’s getting out – and his keeping his distance? Leo’s contempt of him?

10.Eddie, his retirement, the party, the songs, the performances? Titi and his friendship? The spirit of the group, their brutality in dealing with suspects? Their part in the siege for the robbers? His being shot?

11.Silien and his imprisonment, his plan for leave, getting the gun, his chauffeur? Telephoning Leo, trapping him for a meeting, using him for an alibi for killing his rival? The bargain and his giving names about the robbers? His later interrogation and his alibi? The irony of the prostitute escaping, her being in the car with the victims? Denis tracking her down? Silien and his phone calls to Camille? The phones being tapped? His wanting to give her the money – Denis and his pursuit, the chase, the crash and the deaths?

12.The siege to get the robbers, the plan, Leo in charge? Denis and his presence, his motivation for going out, his alleged reconnaissance? Beginning the shoot-out? The chaos in the shoot-out, the fights, Eve being taken hostage (and her later jumping out of the car)? Eddie with the gun to his head, his being shot, Leo going to the morgue and seeing his body?

13.The funeral, the speeches, the authorities and their attitude, Leo paying his respect, Denis going to the coffin, the police squad turning their back on him?

14.Denis, his continued investigations, his contacts, the information from the prostitute? His using the information, the challenge to Leo?

15.Leo, the arrest, the interrogations? The judge and his hostility towards the squad and its treatment of people? The routine of his going to prison? Getting out, going to the judge, taking over, the visit from Camille? His not contacting his daughter? The seven years passing?

16.Camille, previously with Denis, married to Leo, the happy home, their daughter and their love for her, the domestic scenes, her going to school? Silien’s phoning her, her going to meet him, not telling the police? The car chase – and Denis shooting her? The pathos of the funeral with Leo there in handcuffs?

17.Denis, the chase, his shooting Camille – and his reasons that she was in agony? His getting the promotion, his inauguration, Titi urinating on him? His anger? The years of his success? His rigid manipulation and ordering of people?

18.Leo and his getting out, fighting Titi as a bouncer, getting information from him? Staying with Manou, her rehabilitation, her happy memories of Cristo? Getting the gun? Going to see his daughter, their discussions, his explanations?

19.Titi, the clash at the club, the fight, the brothers finding him, knowing that he was part of the deal and the siege? Their torturing him – injuries, hospital, brain-dead? His giving Denis’s name to them?

20.Leo’s plan, the reception, Denis and his wife, the ceremonial? Leo and the police following him, getting their badges, getting into the function? Confronting Denis in the toilet, the explanations? Leaving the gun for Denis to shoot himself – Denis’s survival instinct?

21.The gang, the information, knowing Denis was involved, the drive-by shooting and Denis’s death?

22.Leo free, going to the airport, meeting his daughter – and a new life?

23.Audience interest in the details of police work? Authentic? Questionable? Law and justice?