Le Petit Lieutenant

In the French police drama Le Petit Lieutenant, the title character is the provincial Antoine (Jalil Lespert), who after graduating from the police academy lands a job with the Parisian police force. Unfortunately, Antoine's enthusiasm for his assignment is not shared by his young wife, who refuses to leave her Normandy roots to join him in Paris. If Antoine's new career turns out to be initially more quotidian than he anticipated, he nevertheless enjoys the camaraderie of his colleagues and the attention of the head of the criminal unit, a recovering alcoholic named Caroline (Nathalie Baye). Wisely, filmmaker Xavier Beauvois doesn't go for the obvious here: the relationship between Antoine and Caroline turns out to be fairly complex. As for the pulse-racing action that one expects in cop films, it eventually arrives with a vengeance (although detailing the story is impossible without revealing major spoilers). Baye's strong, subtle performance is the anchor here—a remarkable mix of steely resolve and unexpected flashes of vulnerability—although the film has a sour anti-immigrant tone that weakens the plotline. Overall, however, this is a must-see for fans of French cinema. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)