Le Petit lieutenant (2005) - film review

As soon as he graduates from police training college, the young Antoine Derouère chooses Paris as his first posting.  He is assigned to a crime squad led by Caroline Vaudieu, who has only just returned to service after time out to recover from alcohol addiction.  Antoine’s initial excitement over his new job soon passes when he discovers the reality of police procedure.  Events take a dramatic turn when his team investigates the killing of a Polish down-and-out by illegal immigrants with Russian mafia connections.  Life will never be the same for Antoine or his colleagues...

In this, his fourth and arguably best full-length film to date, director Xavier Beauvois succeeds in weaving the elements of a traditional French policier and tough social drama into a compelling, emotionally charged narrative that leaves a lasting impression.  The film’s power stems not from its plot, which is effective enough, but from its incisive characterisation, showing how the experiences of police work impact on the lives of those who commit themselves to maintaining law and order in an increasingly lawless society.

It is a film that pulls few punches and has some sequences which are shocking even by today’s standards (albeit without the gratuitous violence that most thriller director’s now consider mandatory).  The excellence of Beauvois’ direction is matched by the quality of the performances from his superlative cast.  Nathalie Baye won a César in 2005 for her tortured portrayal of a police chief struggling to overcome personal crises in the face of an unexpected trauma.   (The film was nominated for four other Césars, including Best Film).  Antoine Chappey also deserves a mention for his understated yet very believable portrayal of a conscientious cop who, thanks to a momentary lapse, loses everything.

Scripted and directed with great flair and intelligence, Le Petit lieutenant is a potent crime drama which offers a welcome insight into the lives of those who choose to join the police to make our world a safer place – at the risk of finding an early grave, or worse.

© James Travers 2008

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