Thursday, December 04, 2008

THE FRENCH DO IT BETTER:36 QUAI DES ORFEVRES


I watched a fantastic French cop thriller last night. Leo Vrink [Daniel Auteil] and Denis Klein [Gerard Depardieu] are tough policemen and are regarded as rivals for promotion.
The one whose team arrests a violent gang and ends a string of  armoured car robberies will get that promotion. The rivalry between the cops and their relationships with their informants are complicated, and when an operation goes disastrously wrong the plot takes an unusual twist.
The action is fast and furious both Auteil and Depardieu look suitably weathered and act their roles brilliantly. The women including Valeria Golino as Camille, Vrink's wife, and Catherine Marchal as policewoman Eve Verhagen, look gorgeous and the cinematography and lighting match the varying moods. This 2004 film had nine nominations at the French Cesar Awards, and there is apparently an American remake underway.
Even if you don't like subtitles make an exception for this exciting thriller I don't see how a remake could match it. 

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Is this a new movie? Sounds great, but also similar to other French/Depardieu movies I have seen! If it is new, I'll definitely watch it (sometime), it sounds very good.

Am I imagining it, or did Depardieu's son die recently?

2:15 PM  
Blogger Uriah Robinson said...

His son Gulliaume died aged 37 complications from pneumonia.

The film was on BBC4 and dates from 2004. It is similar to French cop movies in that they don't operate to British or even to American standards. It is sometimes difficult to tell who are the bad guys and who are the cops, but I enjoyed it. You might like Daniel Auteil. ;O)

2:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

film made in 2006

4stars from 25 reviews on amazon.

"the best cop thriller since heat' according to the Daily Mirror, for what thats worth.

seoras

3:36 AM  

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