Customer Reviews

36 Quai des Orfevres (Original French Version with English Subtitles)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Paris' "36 Quai des Orfèvres" means London's Scotland Yard and this gritty French neo-noir is part inspired by real-life events that happened in January, 1985, according to the director Olivier Marchal, who formerly worked as police officer during the 1980s. The film stars Daniel Auteuil as Léo Vrinks, the leader of BRI, division of the Paris Police, and Gérard Depardieu as Denis Klein, head of BRB, another division of the same organization.

The premise looks familiar; Léo and Denis chase the same heavily-armed ruthless robbers who terrify the city, but Léo, who knows the underworld of Paris better than anyone, is always one step ahead of power-hungry Denis who desperately wants to arrest the criminals to get promoted. The intricate relations between the characters involve Camille (Valéria Golino), Léo's wife, to whom Denis seems still attached.

The tension slowly but steadily rises as the story unfolds, and when the gangsters are finally found, one of the characters does one unexpected thing, which triggers a chain reaction of the events beyond the ill-fated characters' control. Despite some unlikely behaviors of some characters and several coincidences, director Olivier Marchal (who briefly appears as one ex-convict Christo) did a fine job in keeping the tension and slick pace of the film throughout the story.

"36 Quai des Orfèvres" is a slick crime drama with tight storyline, supported by great performances from the actors, especially Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu. The film is not without predictable places, but still the intense conflict between the two leading characters is always fascinating to see.

In the past the French have produced some great crime films, Rififi, Grisbi, Cercle Rouge and Le Doubos spring to mind. However in recent years if they have keep up this tradition, it has not come to the attention of the English speaking film watching world.

36 Quai des Orfevres (the French equivalent of Scotland Yard or Number One Police Plaza) may not come up to the standard of the very best of the past but it is certainly a film worth watching.

The story revolves arround two cops, Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil) and Klein (Gerald Depardeu). Each heads a section of the French police and both are keen to catch of gang of brutal armed robbers. It is clear that at one time they were friends and maybe rivals for the love of Vrinks' wife. Now they are bitter rivals willing to undermine each other in order to get the glory of catching the robbers. The prize of becoming the new Chief of Detectives for Paris is also behind their rivalry.

Both are ruthless and willing to step outside the law in order to catch trhe bad guys. For Klein however ambition as become all. Vrinks whatever his faults is still for the most part motivated by the need to catch criminals, even if he is willing to do some violent and illegal things to catch them.

Auteuil and Depardeu are perhaps the biggest male stars in French cinema today. Auteuil gives his usual fine performance, for Depardeu this is his best performance in years and proof of what a powerful actor he is. Without speaking he can convey more with a look or a glance that most actors can with a ten minute speech.

I am not sure that the English subtitles give a accurate translation from trhe French. Can it be that the robbers go to all that planing and cause all that mayhem for a paltry 100,000 Euros?

All in all a film worth 4 stars, it would have got five had Depardeu been in it more.

Of the more than 300 21st-century films I have seen so far, this is the best. Vivid characters, believable situations, slam-bang action, brilliant acting by the entire cast, especially Daniel Auteuil. As with Jean-Pierre Melville's masterpieces, the film treats American noir themes existentially. Engrossing for every second. Cannot recommend it highly enough.

This is a movie everyone should see. It's cruel, true, realistic, painful....Beautiful, amazing. Great Auteil and Depardieu. Valeria Golino is fantastic and her interpretation comes out strongly.Great soundtrack.

36 (36 QUAI DES ORFEVRES) is a 2004 film that is just now making it to DVD: it should do very well with audiences who enjoy fine thriller/suspense dramas that depend on brilliant acting as opposed to endless pyrotechnics and CGI gimmicks. This film was inspired by a true story as related by director and actor and writer Olivier Marchal (with Franck Mancuso, Julien Rappeneau and Dominique Loiseau) of some corruption uncovered in the Paris police in 1985. The film is tense, forces the audience to think as the action jumps around showing simultaneous events in a smoothly cut and paste method of cinematic magic, and is populated with some very unforgettable characters who are a able to make us believe the fact that good cop/bad cop is a matter of interpretation in the vagaries of police action.

There are repeated serial heists in the criminal underbelly of Paris, hijacking and murders that confound the headquarters of the Paris Police headed by Robert Mancini (André Dussollier). Two departments are challenged to put an end to the madness: the BRI headed by Léo Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil) and the BRB headed by Denis Klein (Gérard Depardieu) who are competing to head the police division now that the head Eddy Valence (Daniel Duval) is retiring. The personalities of these two competitors are quite different and the tone of past mistrust pervades every conversation and confrontation they have. Each is determined to be the one who brings the heinous group of criminals to justice. The violence escalates when Eddy is killed: the policemen are devoted to Vrinks who has considerable connections with the underworld such as Silien (Roschdy Zem) who seems to pull Vrinks down with an unexpected incident. Klein is the power obsessed cop who seems to stop at nothing to assure that he is responsible of the end of the hijackers/murderers, even to the point of involving Vrinks' wife Camille (Valéria Golino) in an event that results in Camille's death. Vrinks and Klein each commit blunders that result in a chain of events that blurs the lines of morality and enters the realm of vendetta and revenge.

In addition to brilliant performances by both Anteuil, Depardieu and Golino there are memorable cameos by Francis Renaud as Titi, a cop with a heart, Anne Consigny as Klein's wife Hélène, Mylène Demongeot as the sassy older tart with a heart Manou. Daniel Antueil's daughter Aurore Auteuil who plays his screen daughter Lola as well, and even director Olivier Marchal as the criminal Christo. The musical score by Erwann Kermorvant and Axelle Renoir is unusually fine as is the cinematography by Denis Rouden who appreciates the importance of closeup shots of the intense psychological aspects of both Anteuil's and Depardieu's faces. This is a film for those hungry for intelligent and thought-provoking dramas. In French with English subtitles. Grady Harp, July 11

Best described as a gallic cross-pollination of Infernal Affairs (Wu jian dao), Heat (Two-Disc Special Edition), The Sweeney - The Complete First Series and The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics), like the best French cinema, its the dedication to grungy realism that I really admired about it. If it had been made in the US (and these days, depressingly, the UK), the cast would've been impossibly good looking and handsome. Not the case here - middle-aged French CID inspectors who are using the most unscrupulous means possible to screw each other out of a promotion actually `look like' middle-aged French CID inspectors who are using the most unscrupulous means possible to screw each other out of a promotion. Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu are suitably grungy and superb in it. I recommend you check it out before Hollywood defang, dumb down and rob it of all subtlety in order to acquiesce to the mentality of the multiplex bovines - just like they did with that Scorsese snorefest, The Departed (Widescreen Edition) (a.k.a. the truly awful remake of the superb Infernal Affairs (Wu jian dao)).

**** 2004. Written and directed by Olivier Marchal. Eight César awards nominations. Paris. Two policemen try to find a dangerous gang with their respective team. In the Jean-Pierre Melville tradition, 36 QUAI DES ORFEVRES is a really great French thriller. You'll also have the opportunity to admire the face-to-face of the two French stars Gérard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil who are especially good in this film. Highly recommended.

First at all, this movie is since its release a true classic; a film that will involve you since the first shot due its powerful realism.

Two veteran police officials (Klein and Wrinks) have countless merits to occupy the role of Director of the Police. Both have their own methods out the law, where corruption, double cross and underworld's informants allow him to survive in the asphalt's jungle.

But Klein has a serious problem with the drink, his wife left him by Wrinks and that will be the dramatic spark that will ignite the screen when the opportunity makes its appearance.

A thriller of majuscule intensity and sober maturity, where the inner violence is by far, even major than the physical. Auteuil and Depardieu conform a splendid team hard to find in the world. Both are the majuscule actors of the French Cinema, plus the brilliant and brutal script make of this movie an outstanding and original thriller filled of innovativeness due its intense realism.

A must - see.

Great story! I had several questions about events throughout the movie but it all comes together at the end. Others I enjoyed are Lantana and another French film, Roman De GAre

This excellent movie stars both Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu, France's premier actors. The plot moves along in a realistic way with action, compassion, and realism.

The original Quai des Orfèvres came out in 1947 and proved to be a crime film noir classic. Seeing both is well worth the effort.

Steve Dawkins