Flic ou voyou (1979)
Directed by Georges Lautner

Film Review

Flic ou voyou was inspired from a novel by Michel Grisolia, L'Inspecteur de la mer and is considered one of Jean-Paul Belmondo's better films, although the formula is hardly orginal. Director Georges Lautner had previously helmed a string of classy thrillers - Le Pacha (1968), Mort d'un pourri (1977) - so he was well-suited to direct Belmondo in this similar lively offering. The film was certainly one of the star's box office hits, attracting an audience of nearly four million on its first release in 1978, making it the most popular film in France that year after the all-conquering sci-fi spoof Le Gendarme et les extra-terrestres (1979).

The film is a typical late 1970s French crime thriller (or polar) which takes one of the recurring themes of the genre to its limit - the idea that the morality of the police can be as bad, if not worse, than the gangsters they are trying to round up. For the first half of the film, it is not even clear on what side of the law Borowitz (Belmondo) stands.  Displaying a cool lack of humanity, casually resorting to violence at the least provocation, Borowitz appears to be the archetypal bad guy, and the fact that he is portrayed with Belmondo's familiar charm and good humour renders the character even more disturbing.  To complicate matters, the local police unit includes corrupt cops who are in the employ of a gangland boss.  For most of the film, the audience does not know who are the good guys and who are the bad.  The film's title is aptly chosen.

Although the film is well written, well acted and features some amazing stunts (a standard feature of Belmondo's films), it is not faultless.  The scenario is perhaps too familiar, the characters are by now conventional stereotypes, and the dry humour diffuses any real drama and tension.  The film is entertaining in itself, and fans of Belmondo will adore it, but it lacks the originality, suspense and conviction of the truly great French crime thrillers.

Film Synopsis

The town of Nice is completely under the control of two rival criminal gangs led by Musart and Volfoni, two hoodlums the police would dearly love to have behind bars.   Unfortunately, the local police have already been infiltrated by gang members and their efforts to bring the criminals to justice is continually frustrated.  Things are so desperate that Superintendent Grimaud has no other recourse than to bring in a Parisian super-cop, Stanislas Borowitz.

By passing himself off as a crook, Borowitz manages to inveigle his way into one of the gangs and uncover the identity of two cops who are in league with the gangsters - Rey and Massart.  Borowitz's plan is to get Musart and Volfoni to turn on each other, and he begins by trashing their property, leading each gang leader to believe that the other is to blame.  All goes well until the super-cop's real identity is discovered by Rey. Borowitz saves himself by shooting Rey and making it appear that Volfoni was his killer.  The contest takes an unexpected dramatic twixt when Borowitz's 14-year-old daughter Charlotte is suddenly abducted...