La balance

I knew I was in for a treat when the crunchy new wave title track for "La balance" started playing, and the next 100 minutes didn't disappoint. I'm accustomed to French crime movies with a bit of an arty or philosophical bent, but this one is all pulp, all action. Proudly wearing its influences on its sleeve with several references to Steve McQueen, this will greatly appeal to fans of movies like "Bullitt" and "The French Connection." It must be said that the cops here are seriously ethically dubious: they're misogynistic, xenophobic and constantly pushing the limits of legality to get their man, but these aspects are presented matter-of-factly rather than in a purely glamorizing light.

Nathalie Baye is superb as always as a kind-hearted but guarded sex worker pushed into an informant role, but her character leans too heavily on cliché. More interesting is the smaller role of Galia Salimo, a trans actress who makes a major impression in her scenes as a local wheeler and dealer trading in stolen goods. This is a punchy, well-constructed crime tale that warrants another look.

What a nifty top of the B-film heap is this gritty Paris film, complete with love stories going bad, habits going strong, and cars going fast. Leotard has one of the great faces in the world and Nathalie Baye (in this outing new to me on release date) is just spectacularly vulnerable and perhaps a bit duplicitous. I would definitely make this part of my French film library. The film's co-director is from Evanston, Illinois! Bob Swaim has written films and directed them, mostly in France, and obviously learned his B-films on Saturdays with the rest of us and his France by living in it for a long time.

...of a different Paris, different love story and images of cops. a precise and impressive film. for the portraits of characters. for the science to escape from cliches circle, for the inspired way to tell a dirty, insignificant, ordinary story, using each of its nuances in admirable manner. a woman. and her man. and the Police as the shark in the essence of relationship who could be normal. it is easy to define it as a film with a great cast , from Maurice Ronet and young Tcheky Karyo to Nathalie Baye. but the authentic star of film remains Phililipe Leotard, giving a dramatic performance. so, a revelation. at each new view. because it represents the realistic portrait of a world who seems, from so many (American) films, well known.

A small time ex-con (Phillipe Leotard as Dede) and his prostitute girlfriend Nicole (Nathalie Baye) are relentlessly pressured by an aggressive and at time brutal police squad led by Mathias Palouzi (Richard Berry) to inform on the mob. Using any means necessary, playing one off against the other, humiliation, beatings, or threats, the couple is forced to become informants on underworld leader Roger Massina (Maurice Ronet). The love story is at the heart of the film, while the cops and crooks make up opposite ends, though they often employ similar means. Berry seems to flourish in the middle, beating up on Dede while playing a little softer with his girlfriend Nicole. A fast pace takes us whizzing through some great Paris locations, through a stagey looking though fairly impressive shootout on a crowded street, and several seedy dead end alleyways. Many of the underworld characterizations are terrific, and the classy soundtrack (especially the ending) is perfect for the mood.

Maybe I was a bit young (15 I think) when I first saw this, in a french cinema without subtitles so I didn't even understand that much - but it left a strong impression and when I rewatched it a few years later with a more critical eye, it was still a very strong movie. There are more violent thrillers out there, but in the case of "La Balance", it's unsettling because you care for those people. I guess it's got something to do with the cast, it's a bunch of character faces you won't forget, especially Philippe Léotard. So, in contrast to many other thrillers, the violence in "La Balance" is never fun to watch - those are scenes where you'd like to close your eyes (which is the best way to portrait violence, in my opinion, if you don't happen to make an action comedy). Highly recommended!