JoeKulik 36th Precinct (2004) is a very good crime narrative. 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. This film has a very complex storyline that is nonetheless well thought, and executed in perfect detail. No unbelievable coincidences, or unexplainable "holes" in the storyline. This film, therefore, has a very "tight" screenplay. The cinematography is great. The whole supporting cast gives excellent performances. This film left me wondering if strictly obeying the law is always the right thing to do. Hence, at least for me, this film is morally ambiguous in some ways. There is actually a number of different subplots in this film, but they are all well coordinated into portraying an overall consistent and believable film. There is some violence in this film, including a big shootout between the cops and the bad guys right in the middle of the street. However, none of the violence is in anyway gratuitous, and is very much integral to the storyline. This is definitely a good cops versus bad guys film, although sometimes it's hard to tell who the real bad guys are. This is a film that I'd like to view again just for the sheer enjoyment of it, and because it has much artistic merit.

roland-wirtz I was watching a lot of french crime films lately and was pleasantly surprised by many of them. They have something American crime films don't have anymore: a soul. 36 is pretty good. The director obviously loves Michael Mann a bit much because he stole many things from him (even the poster reminds me of Heat). It's not as good as Heat (not even close) but it delivers the goods. The actors were the real highlight of the film. Daniel Auteuil playing the head of robbery unit was terrific. Gerard Depardieu was also impressive. He kinda reminded me a fat version of Nick Nolte's character in Q and A (a very good cop film). The only actor who was overacting and bringing the film down was the leader of the robbers. So annoying. I didn't buy the scene where he's arrested (dozen of cops wearing tactical gears getting knocked-down by a naked man? Gimme a break!). Besides this annoyance, 36 is better than most American thrillers. Those french are good. Vive Le France!

jules diepstraten 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. And indeed: '36, Quai des Orfèvres' started out suspenseful and interesting. But the story started spiralling out of control while the movie wasn't even halfway and eventually it literally lost the plot, making it a laughable failure. 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). When Klein messes up a big operation this leads to Vrinks' best friend getting killed. Vrinks wants to testify against Klein but Klein has got some dirt on Vrinks. Instead, Klein gets Vrinks sent off to jail for seven years and gets promoted to be commissioner even though no one likes him and all the cops threatened to resign if he'd get promoted. But... to show how Klein is not just a regular bad guy but a really really evil guy, sirector and screenplay writer Marchal thought it would be a great idea if Klein also kills off Vrinks's wife while he's in prison. His corrupt henchmen are witnessing this happen but no one says a thing.Look, I know police corruption happens everyday in every country in the world, but to try and tackle this subject by having a cop send another cop to jail and while he's there also killing his wife for no reason is a shocking example of blatantly stupid screen writing. Not even in Cambodia or a similar armpit-of-the-world would one get away with this so easily, let alone in France. This movie is insulting to the intelligence of it's audience.Great cinematography by Denis Ruden though! But aside from that, a turkey that needs to be avoided.

htodd For some reason I never got into this movie. All throughout I was wondering why the movie was dragging along for me. I think it's two things:First, the English subtitles were awful. Or the dialog was awful. 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. Hell, maybe everyone in France does that. I don't know, I've never been there.