36 Quai des Orfèvres
Tags: violence, neo noir, realism

Plot synopsis:
The story revolves around two Prefecture of Police officers: Léo Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil), head of the BRI and Denis Klein (Gérard Depardieu), head of the BRB. Both want to catch a vicious gang of armoured-car robbers that have killed nine people. But when their immediate superior, the chief of the criminal police (André Dussolier), announces that he will soon retire, the rivalry pushes Klein to play dirty in order to get the promotion.
Vrinks is a good investigative detective with a loyal cadre of detectives and officers, as well as a stable of unsavory informants he has cultivated over the years. Klein, who has questionable ethics, is not so accomplished. Vrinks also helps people, in particular a bar tender who was raped and beaten by a criminal, Bruno (Ivan Franek), who was robbing the bistro where she was employed. Vrinks and his team kidnap Bruno, and drive him out to a forest for punishment. The gangster is stripped naked, given a mock execution, pushed into open grave, and warned to never molest that woman again. Unfortunately, Vrinks' methods catch up with him when he is tricked by Silien (Roschdy Zem), an incarcerated informant on day release, to be his getaway driver in the murder of Silien's gangster colleagues whose testimony had sent Silien to prison. However, the murdered guy was too one of Klein's informants, so Silien, in a quid pro quo exchange of Vrinks's alibi and silence, reveals the detective where the armoured-car gang are hiding, in an industrial suburb.
Vrinks and his team stake out the factory, with Klein's team acting as backup, but after patient surveillance, when on the verge of catching the robbers, Klein ignores procedure, and drunkenly comes out of hiding. The gang, alerted thereby, spark a firefight, which results in the death of Vrinks' best friend and taking hostage a young detective woman.
An internal investigation is launched into the botched operation, but Klein avoids censure for his behaviour, when finding a prostitute and illegal immigrant who witnessed Silien's murder, and saw Vrinks who drove him out of the scene. Vrinks is arrested and thrown into jail for his role by a cop-hating judge, whereas Klein is exonerated by the police inquiry of the failed gang arrest, because Vrinks' evidence is ruled inadmissible to incriminate him. While awaiting his indictment proceeding, Vrinks manage to disarm his guards just to obtain a free short face to face meeting with Camille (Valeria Golino) in the Court's corridor.
Later Camille is contacted by Silien, and they agree to meet, but their phone call is tapped by Klein's team, who follow her to the meeting our of town. Silien gets into her car, gives her some money to keep on, whereas Klein's people move in, and a car chase is on, whereby Camille's car is forced off the road. It ends by her car crushing, and the killing of both her and Silien, which enables Klein to clear his name again. He uses Silien's gun to first shoot the already dead Camille, then use his own gun to shoot at Silien body. It now looks like the informant shot Camille in the car, causing them to veer off the road, and Klein shot Silien in self-defence.
Seven years later, Vrinks is released from prison for just his silence in Silien's killings. Klein, who has become chief of the Paris criminal police, kept people silent by handing out promotions or by forcing others to retire or transfer. Vrinks then has an emotional reunion with his now grown up daughter, telling her that he is going far away, but first he has to take care of unfinished business. Vrinks goes to see Titi, an old colleague, who quit the police and works at a club, where he was recently threatened by men who were ejected out and seemed strangely familiar, namely the friends of Bruno, the rapist whom Vrink's people abandoned naked in the forest.
Vrinks gets a gun from Titi, planning to take revenge on Klein who is attending the annual Parisian police ball. Using a stolen police ID, Vrinks gets into the venue and confronts Klein in the lavatory. Meanwhile, the men who were ejected from the club follow Vrinks to the soiree, and wait ominously outside. Klein explains that Camille was already dead when he shot her, and Vrinks realises what a sad man Klein has become and suggests he kill himself with the gun that he brought. After Vrinks leaves, Klein follows him into the street shouting obscenities and blaming Vrinks for Camille's death. Afterwards, Bruno shows up on a motorcycle and shoots Klein in the head. It is then revealed that Titi said to his attackers at the bar, Klein's name, instead of Vrinks's name.
Vrinks meets his daughter at the airport. The film ends with them queuing at the airport security check, on their way for a new life abroad.

Review: The director, Olivier Marchal is a former cop and the story of 36 Quai Des Orfèvres is from real facts from the life of Dominique Loiseau (who co-wrote the script), former member of the BRI (Brigade de Recherche et d'Intervention = Search and Action Squad, the "anti-gangs" squad) in the mid eighties.
On the other hand we have Klein, the head of the BRB (Brigade de Répression du Banditisme = Crime Repression Squad, taking care of big robberies and so on) played by a very well known actor, in France but also around the world after a few appearance in Hollywood movies: Gérard Depardieu who seems to have reminded the amazing actor he can be.
The one who will take down a gang of very violent robbers currently holding up to ridicule the police forces, will be the new head of the number 36, Quai des Orfèvres.And here you know just the starting plot of this movie which benefits of a really really good script.
In addition to this perfect script you have a great casting for the main roles but also for the "background characters" who are for most of them unknown actors who will surely be known in a few movies if they continue to play so well and have the luck again to play in such a great film.
This is like the French version of Michael Mann's "Heat." Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu are like the Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro of France.These heavyweight actors really do a good job in this cop drama where they play former friends and colleagues who work in different competing departments at the French police.
Auteuil is the family man who is not perfect himself but is far more moral than his former buddy.It shows the grit of Paris that people outside France don't usually see in French movies, like the mobs, the gangs, the corruption of the urban ghettos.
I had the privilege of seeing this film at the Lincoln Center (NY City) Rendezvous with French Cinema in March 2005 with the director, Olivier Marchal, in attendance.The film stars Daniel Auteuil, Gerard Depardieu, and Valeria Golino.
There are drug dealers and corrupt cops, to be sure, but what gives this film tremendous power is the combination of the superb acting and a tough, smart script.The current chief is in line to a promotion to commissioner and knows the personalities of the two rivals well--so well, in fact, that he engages in some devious manipulative actions to set them against each other.
Marchal, who began taking acting lessons when he was still a cop (so that's how they perfect the good cop/bad cop routine) and went on to play in several TV crime series, has based his story on a real situation, the internicine rivalry in the eighties between the BRI and the BRB, both working out of the Quai.
The opening in 36 has got to be one of the more arresting (pun not intended) starters in a movie I've watched in some time, especially if you're a fan of Euro-electronica, where a catchy tune paces the multiple action happening on screen.The French police is stumped by a gang of armed robbers whose fast and brutal methods leave no witnesses.
Like memorable HK police thriller Infernal Affairs, it is the powerful relationship between the main characters that this drama explores and excels in, with excellent acting from Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu as the bitter men with ambiguous methods and morales.It's a relatively tight storyline, and you'll have to pay close attention to the subplots in order to be able to piece together how and why the ending was as presented.
The worst movie I have seen in ages.Only the hope that is was surely soon about to end ( a hope dashed several times) and the fact I was sitting in the middle of a row made me stay until the end.Hideously loud melodramatic music ( here comes a sad bit, here comes a tense bit, here comes a sexy bit), leather jackets flapping in the wind-machines, uniformly tattooed balkan-looking baddies and risible "cinematic" action scenes make me think that the director was pretending he was making "hard Boiled".
I went to see it not because it is based on true facts (no handout said it), nor because it is a thriller (I am not a particular fan of such films) but because of two main actors, Gerard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil, both remarkably popular in Europe.
"36 Quai des Orfevres" follows loyally the atmosphere and style we have been attracted to since the years of Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo, adapted to today's environment.The story is about two cops, Leo Vrinks (Auteuil) and Denis Klein (Depardieu).
Both men employ all means possible to achieve their goal, and at some point the line between crime and their methods begins to blur...Olivier Marchal, who is a former police officer himself, captivates us with his excellent way of portraying the machinations that are happening behind the scenes of law enforcement.
It is true that French cinema has failed to make Die Hard type films which have shown one man's crusade against heartless criminals but action film genre has been seen in Taxi series.One positive thing that can be said about 36 Quai des Orfèvres is that it is a brilliant action film.All credit must go to its director Olivier Marchal who has proved that French cinema is as energetic as American cinema as far as action cinema genre is concerned.Action scenes have been directed with perfect agility as they show how main actors like Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil and Daniel Duval display their best acting talents to tackle reckless criminals.In 36 Quai des Orfèvres we are shown that criminals are elegant,slick and vigilant.They are showed as nasty elements who are constantly on move.The presence of a female member in their midst goes to prove that they want to achieve beauty and the beast effect.As a film cannot rest on only one genre Olivier Marchal has steered this film into the realm of drama too.This is where things go wrong for him as there is absolutely no coherent element between fight scenes and dramatic elements which helps in uniting the narrative structure of this film.Dramatic elements of this film are so badly filmed that they offer only a myopic vision of corruption in police units and how family lives of police forces are ruined due to intense pressure..
It looks and feels like a huge movie.It tells the story of two sections of the French Police Force, both headed by strong and very much "old school" policemen.
It's this ambition that begins to drive Klein, and coupled with his drinking and jealousy he soon finds that he's taking events into his own hands.Meanwhile Vrinks is pulled into events he can't control and soon finds himself in the grey area between the Police and the Criminals.Both actors perform well, although it has to be said that Depardieu steals the show over Auteuil.
Auteuil's performance lacked more visible feelings, in some extreme moments he hardly shows anything outside his words, and it stops the audience getting pulled into the character and keeps you "watching a movie".Depardieu, on the other hand, gets the better role and plays it to perfection.
He's angry, tired, and wants so desperately to be the good cop, the great cop, yet the more he tries the more he fails and alienates himself from those around him.Pretty soon events for both characters are spinning hopelessly out of control and set on courses where the past is fast catching up and forcing them to a point where they will have to answer for their actions.As I said the film is superbly shot, and has some excellent set pieces.
I guess that they didn't carry off for me because of his lack of emotion in the scene, and I just didn't believe in the character and what he felt enough.The story is strong, although at a couple of points I felt that it was pulling in a different direction, trying to be too many things at once, but it was an excellent tale and came to a very satisfying conclusion.There is a pivotal moment though that made a few people in the audience shake their heads, I shan't go into it, but at the time you'll think it's far too convenient for it to happen.
I agree that this movie is actually a good surprise.I particularly appreciated performances of actors, as well the famous Auteuil, Depardieu, and Dussollier as the supporting characters, who normally should get more famous in further movies, if they keep doing the good job as they have done in that movie!I just would like to point to the fact that Marchal does not only pay homage to Heat, but to other thrillers as well, including French Le Doulos by Melville, since a character is named Silien, which is the name of Belmondo in Melville's film.Other readers may have noticed other clues about classical thrillers.
Not Bad. I saw this movie on an Air France flight four days ago and I must say that, although Auteuil and Depardieu are my favorite French actors together with Tcheky Karyo, I was a bit disappointed with regards to some cut and paste work done with the plot.
Although there were a few flaws, the general story in itself is interesting and French movies are usually very good, especially when it comes to drama.Gerard Depardieu is very good at playing the rough man's role however I was rather impressed by Daniel Auteuil's interpretation of Vrinks (Certainly not the same kind of cop he portrayed in Les Voleurs-1996).
36 Quai des orfévres is like Heat,but in French version.I liked this cop movie very much and it has something really important:it's unpredictable.The action scenes are really realistic.Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu make excellent performances.This movie has a lot of things that you don't expect and that's real good.Olivier Marchal makes a very good work as a director and he is an ex-cop.I think that the director's experience helped a lot for the movie.This movie is really great and I totally recommend this film.While American thrillers are terrible(like Firewall),we need to have hopes in the independent cinema..
Since The French know how to make top-notch crime and action flicks and since I saw several good reviews of this movie I had quite some expectations when I started to watch it on DVD.
Director Olivier Marchal went out of his way to try and make Gerard Depardieu's dirty cop Denis Klein The Most Evil Character You've Ever Seen In A Movie, and in his attempt he sacrificed every inch of credibility of the whole story.SPOILER WARNING!: '36, Quai des Orfèvres' focuses on the struggle between good cop Leo Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil) and bad cop Denis Klein (Gerard Depardieu).
An intense police outing is offered by director Olivier Marchal and contains (as if you needed me to tell you) two absolute power houses of French cinema in Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu in a story which opens with the most unsettling and most gripping 10 minutes of film you're ever likely to see in this genre.
Our protagonists continually attempt to provide a justification to their means, and with all such things, one can never be provided.The actors are on impeccable form and provide blistering performances which are so convincing that the audience has no choice but to become engrossed and watch what is rightly seen as not only a film which maybe described as "The French Heat" but also unquestionably "The best 'cop' thriller since Heat".Auteuil and Depardieu play Leo and Denis respectively.
Both of the characters are fully developed and are only enhanced by the skills these actors portray them with.While the action thriller genre will always have an inaccessible aspect to it, prohibiting it from wide spread critical acclaim, 36 is the best of its kind to emerge for sometime, and casts serious doubts over those which have tried to make a name for themselves over recent years.Aspects of the plot line in 36 are inevitably predictable, but predictability when delivered correctly will never change the impact a film has and make it more or less enjoyable than what it is already.
It's also well known by viewers because of the detective movies ("films policiers" or "polars" in French) shot in the fifties with actors like Jean Gabin.36 Quai des Orfèvres has some qualities like the plot.
I can't tell, I can't speak French.The scenes transitions just made me wonder why they didn't end the last scene, or why this new scene was starting so slowly.The music scoring was also bad enough that someone I know complained about it.And worst, all the actors seemed to stare off into the distance a lot, like the director wanted to put up a big sign that said, THE ACTOR IS CURRENTLY THINKING but thought better of it.
Director Olivier Marchal was a cop in real life and knows a thing or two about the wheeling and dealing that goes on between the criminal and the police force.
So, back to Olivier Marchal's masterpiece, Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu's characters are very close to those real life policemen involved in this 1986 Paris killing, when one gangster and a cop died.
All beautifully filmed, while the music ponders.Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu are the two male leads which are rivals for the position of Chief of Police in Paris.
Olivier Marchal's film, working from a screenplay he contributed to, is at once a fine police procedural movie but additionally a well played out crime drama and family ties serial which broods and comes together really nicely.
The outgoing is the superintendent, his verbal establishing that his post is now there for the taking for somebody coming through such as Vrinks or Klein a proverbial prize looming at the end for what transpires; his additional confirmation that his desire to catch a gang of robbers whom we saw pillage that armoured van is strong, and sees him get-across a certain urgency to get this done so as to form a sort of swan-song.The item which drags both Klein and Vrinks together is in the form of a murdered informant Klein was rather fond of, a crime perpetrated by a Vrinks contact whom made sure Auteuil's cop was there to witness it; the fallout causing an immensely enjoyable power struggle within the confines of the police force as numerous supporting characters, such as wives and so forth, cause particularly harrowing events to entwine spawning all manner of strife.Essentially what 36 deals with, or at least feeds off of in order to induce dramatic effect, is that of corrupt police officials; an issue rife within a lot of contemporary French thrillers of both this ilk and of varying others, usually ordained by films from the factory of Luc Besson.
Leo Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil) and Denis Klein (Gerard Depardieu) are rival heads of two police units in Paris.
Outside of this the film is mostly like an old fashioned cop thriller in the way that it relies on plot rather than action to move things forward.
The rest of the cast are good but the viewer is never in any doubt that the stars are where the film is both narratively and in regards the performances.Overall then a solid cop thriller that is more of a character piece than the first hour would suggest.
Leo Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil) and Denis Klein (Gerand Depardieu) are two cops seeking promotion, and the imminent departure of the Chief (Andre Dussellier) sets the scene for them to compete for the vacant throne.
The film is tense, forces the audience to think as the action jumps around showing simultaneous events in a smoothly cut and paste method of cinematic magic, and is populated with some very unforgettable characters who are a able to make us believe the fact that good cop/bad cop is a matter of interpretation in the vagaries of police action.
Leo Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil) and Denis Klein (Gérard Depardieu) are two cops who take on a strong battle of wits .
Olivier Marchal , a great actor/writer/director has directed sensational French thrillers , just like "36th Precinct" , ¨Gangsters¨ , ¨Diamond 13¨, ¨Mr73¨ and ¨Les Lyonnais¨ (2011) as good as this "36 Quai Des Orfèvres" (France original title) also titled "36th Precinct" (international title)..
First the good news, the first hour of this film is an enjoyable, if derivative, cops and robbers show while Depardieu and Auteuil do as much as they can to keep things afloat throughout.
But the movie doesn't work for several reasons.First, the cops pursuit of the robbery gang is frustratingly sidelined about an hour in once Depardieu's character frames Auteuil's & gets him sent to prison.
Great drama thriller..Good lighting, good storytelling, good directing, good cast, good music, based on a true Paris police sections rivalry in the late '80s where the scenarist was working (director Marchal is also an ex-cop)..definitely the best thriller since a loooong time..A must see if you'd like a thriller which is not standardized.And for an answer to an upper comment : Daniel Auteuil's daughter at the end is not 30 but 17 (and the actress is Auteuil's real daughter...), and the kidnapped cop is being released later after being brutalized (either you don't speak french, a friend translated it for you, or you smoked too many joints = ) ).
Gerard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil, two premier French actors, both deliver solid performances as great cops who both cross over to the wrong side of the law when they think that's it's to their advantage to do so.
But with a great story like that, a dream cast (Auteuil and Depardieu are among the best actors the French cinema has ever had.