Gomez contre Tavarès

In this follow-up to the 2003 French buddy action comedy "Gomez & Tavarès", our beloved (?) duo of dirty cops are back: this time, they're looking for a very precious blue stone so that they can collect the inheritance from Max's recently deceased uncle. Also, Max learns that his father is still alive (and imprisoned), while Carlos gets tangled up with an enigmatic woman who turns out to be a notorious jewel thief called The Black Widow. Oh, and Gina, Carlos' sister, is pregnant - you can bet that he is not going to be too pleased when he learns who the father is.

Not unlike its predecessor, this French take on the buddy-cop formula is edgier than its American "cousins": the two buddies are kept apart for long periods of time, they often turn violent on each other, and they're both unabashedly crooked. What "Gomez Vs Tavarès" lacks in comparison to similar American movies, or even to the French "Taxi" series in fact, are mainly financial resources: the budget for this sequel seems to have been lower than it was for the original, and there are very few and quite modest action sequences. However, there is one area where this movie excels: the women. Simply put, and without exaggeration, NO James Bond movie to date has offered a sexier female duo than Noémie Lenoir and Fernanda Tavares. Their beauty is hard to describe with words. The almost Jackie Chan - style scene where Noémie fights off some thugs using two ashtrays, and the scene where Fernanda disarms a surprised Carlos in a matter of seconds, are perhaps the most fun moments in the entire film.

It's nothing great, but if they ever make a third one with the same cast, I'll be watching it. (**)