English Distributors: EDKO
Region Code: 3
Video: NTSC, Colour, Anamorphic Widescreen 16:9
Audio: French dts ES/ Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitle: Traditional Chinese, English
Rating: IIB
Running Time: 110mins.
No. of Disc: 1
Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Gerard Depardieu, Andre Dussollier
Director: Olivier Marchal
Synopsis:
A muscular police action thriller, 36 Quai Des Orferes is a welcome throwback to the stylish 1980s French cops and robbers pictures of Blier, Corneau and Beineix. That it is by relative newcomer director (and former cop) Olivier Marchal (who directed 2002's Gangsters) and the recently somnolent Gaumont are also great news for French film... this is top-notch commercial fare with Gerard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil in the kind of awesome form that justifies their star billing. Like the recent Infernal Affairs from Hong Kong, the overlap between cops and criminal milieux is deliberately blurred. A spectacular freeway hijack of an armoured truck - worthy of Heat or La Balance - introduces the cynical Vrinks (Auteuil) and the doggy loner Klein (Depardieu) as two cops who all too clearly loathe each other. Not only are they forced to work together in the short term but in the longer term they are both chasing the same promotion. Polished, cold and vicious, Auteuil is very much the star of the film's first section. He hands out rough justice with a mock execution and is dealt the same kind of medicine when he is hauled out of a window by a bandit who would rather kill himself than be taken alive... Depardieu, more like a cow-town marshal with slickeddown hair, is scarcely better. He seems the more honourable, but cuts corners and during a hold-up breaks ranks, causing the killing of an old cop. He is now ostracised by nearly all his fellow cops and cynical boss Mancini (Dussollier) has to step in. When details of the earlier killing come to light Auteuil is locked up and Depardieu takes the leading role... Overall, director, designers and cinematographer have delivered a superb package with steely grey-blue looks and spectacular Parisian locations. Thrills include car chases, Western-style standoffs and enough shootings for this to have been set in the Bronx. Throughout there is genuine dramatic tension and character development.
Special Features:
Theatrical Trailer
Photo Gallery
Weight: 0.14kg
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