Polisse by MPI HOME VIDEO

Actors

• Joey Starr
• Karin Viard

Format

• Color
• NTSC
• Widescreen

Editorial Review

A sprawling blend of no-nonsense police work and gallows humor, this commendably messy drama captures the cop's lot in life with a flair and intelligence that recalls the best television procedurals, to say nothing of the legendary novels of Joseph Wambaugh. Based on actual case files, the film follows the squad members of the Parisian Child Protection Unit as they attempt to balance out the grim realities of their job with the fractal implosions of their personal lives. As their case files boil over with heartbreaking instances of abducted infants and neglectful parents (and worse), matters are further complicated by the appearance of a naive photographer assigned by the higher-ups to put a positive gloss on things. Director-cowriter-performer Maïwenn, a Luc Besson protégé (she was the blue Babar-ish opera singer in The Fifth Element), does a terrific job at keeping her narrative's various plates in the air, shifting from the horrifically matter-of-fact to the organically goofy with aplomb. (A scene involving a teenage girl's devotion to her cell phone is one for the bad-taste books.) The glammed-down cast does a fine job of backup, with MVP honors going to French rapper Joeystarr, a fascinatingly craggy camera subject who serves as the exposed nerve of the team. The last few moments may teeter into sobby melodrama, but for viewers with strong constitutions, the film's overall balancing act is really something to see. Fans of The Wire, get in line. –Andrew Wright