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Sadly Over-hyped

Memorable, crazy movie

As Good As It Gets

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

This is less about the crime, then the day to day minutiae of police work, in particular the growing relationship between an eager young lieutenant, and his tough, ex-alcoholic boss – Nathalie Baye, in an excellent, uncharacteristically dark performance. There's no romance between the two, just an evolving connection. In the meantime, the lieutenant's home life is a mess – his wife is understandably angry because he requested his Paris posting, far from their home and her work, without asking her. This sad, low key, almost documentary like film, without music or fancy shots, is an insightful look into the people who face crime every day. Dense enough that I'd gladly re-see it.

I'm not a huge fan of most police dramas because most of them are not realistically painted on the screen. There is a forced machoism about them that usually leaves me cold. This film "Le petit lieutenant" was an exception. The title character, a passionate young cop, just out of school, really seems to care about his work, the day to day routine of it. He seems to like his fellow colleagues, treats the criminals fairly humanely and doesn't mind that his boss is a middle-aged woman. There is no sexism, chauvinism, machoism, in his or his colleagues attitudes when doing their jobs. And there does seem to be a poetic sensibility in him that helps him cope with the horrors and/or tedium of the work. Everything about this movie, the pacing, the dialogue, the plot is very realistically presented and resonates deeply within you once the credits begin to roll. It is a very human story which treats all its characters with a great deal of compassion.

This is an excellent Police drama, of a rookie detective,his female commanding officer & other detectives, also assorted criminal types.There is however one major difference between this film & all the others. The people here seem real, flesh & blood persons, not the usual stereotypes & none of the usual clichés.The script does have surprises for the audience at many turns.The acting by all is pitch perfect.The settings are in Paris, Le Havre, & other parts of France..Being a police drama there is violence, BUT no where overly done, The only nudity are the dead victims.We do not have the usual obligatory sex scene. There are some usages of certain words,k BUT that can not be helped.Great film viewing for an adult audience, excellent sub-titles...Ratings **** (out of 4) 97 points (out of 100) IMDb 10 (Out of 10)

A young lieutenant, fresh from school, starts in Paris in a homicide squad. He grew up in Le Havre, where his wife still teaches at school. He misses her and tries to get her to move to Paris too. His boss is a very good police inspector, who just returns to the police after having dropped for personal reasons. She had lost her only son and became an alcoholic. Now she is clean and takes over a new group. Soon they have to investigate the murder of a homeless person. The search for the killer brings big dangers for most of the group, but specially for the lieutenant and his boss.The film shows some everyday routine of police work and how the officers enjoy themselves after their day is done. There are no big things going on, even the murder case is not very special. It is the personal situation of the two main characters that involves the interest of the audience. Well done, though not really great. 7 out of 10.