Customer Reviews

Les Ripoux (Original French Version- No English Options)

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

 

 

I love this film and have been trying to get a subtitled version of it for twenty years. So imagine my excitement when I saw this on Amazon. Yes the description above clearly says English.

Wrong, it has no subtitles whatsoever, not even French ones. I bought this and ended up downloading subtitles off the internet and inserting them myself to finally be able to watch it.

Don't waste your money, wait for Criterion or whoever to put out a subtitled version of this woefully neglected little gem.

Updated December 30, 2011.

When I purchased this DVD in 2006, it had no subtitles, and it would not play in Region 1 (North America) - it was formatted to play only on Region 2 DVD players (Europe and the Middle East). The product description didn't say any of that, and that was probably the most useful part of my review. Now the description does say that it has no English subtitles, and it says that it is formatted for Region 1 players, but I'm wondering about that last part - maybe they actually did change the product to Region 1, since the reviewer "film fan" was able to manually add subtitles to it.

I haven't seen the movie since 1993 (because I can't find a version with English subtitles), but here's what I remember of the plot. There is an older, well-seasoned police detective in a major French city, and he is assigned a younger, rookie detective as a new partner. The senior detective makes extra money by taking small bribes, etc., and the young detective doesn't like this approach to policing, so it gets interesting. Even the simplest conversations are very funny.

From what I remember the movie was hilarious, and I liked it so much that I watched it twice in two days, and I don't think I've ever done that with any other movie.

Les Ripoux, My New Partner is one of those movies that both make you feel wonderful inside and make you laugh aloud. This is one of those rare movies where you find yourself hitting the review button on your video so you can laugh again. Phillipe Noiret is at his comedic best in this film.

If your looking for a foreign film that you will just love, this is it.

great , the best comedy ever .. this is why I was so happy when I found out , that you had
it. This was my husband's very favorite movie, so he was very happy. but of course ..if you do not speak french , you will have a problem with this movie .

"Les Ripoux" does not break any new ground. In fact, it abounds in cliches. The virtue of this brilliant French comedy is not to be found in its innovation but in its perfection. Actors Philippe Noiret, Thierry Lhermitte, Régine, Grace De Capitani and director Claude Zidi take the moves right out of the standard playbook and execute them with exquisite grace and precision.

Noiret serves as the heart of the film. Not since W. C. Fields has such an unmitigated reprobate been so hilariously portrayed. He is not only a bent cop living the down-at-the-heels good life on the cuff, in his shaggy, baggy-eyed way, he is the Cary Grant of bent cops living the down-at-the-heels good life on the cuff.

The film deals with the fate of Noiret's raffish, crooked, Parisian Eden when a serpent enters into it. The serpent is a young, intense and, alas, deplorably honest cop who becomes Noiret's new partner.

The best parts of the film are the sly attempts of the older man, who makes it a point of honor not to arrest anybody, to corrupt the youthful straight arrow. The third act of the movie is by turns a bit too melodramatic and than too sentimental, but that is of no consequence. What you will remember is the continually evolving relationship of the two men.

They are skillfully aided by the presence of two fine actresses, Régine and Grace di Capitani as courtesans--in the best sense of the word--at differing stages of their respective careers.

This is a genuine winner. Why it has not been issued in DVD form for North America is a mystery to me.

This particular DVD issue conforms to the European standard and makes no provision for non-French speakers.

Five stars, but of course, for the film, less two for the lack of a decent North American version.

Hilarious comedy with superb actors, including the secondary characters, well cast. Might be a 4 1/2 to be frank but the warmth, fun of the cast, the language, all are superb. Dated by now (drug use, etc..) but a classic.