Polisse (2011)

A journalist covering police assigned to a juvenile division enters an affair with one of her subjects.

Director:

Maïwenn

Writers:

Maïwenn (screenplay), Emmanuelle Bercot (screenplay)

Stars:

Karin Viard, Joey Starr, Marina Foïs

4 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Karin Viard	...	Nadine
Joey Starr	...	Fred (as Joeystarr)
Marina Foïs	...	Iris
Nicolas Duvauchelle	...	Mathieu
Maïwenn	...	Melissa
Riccardo Scamarcio	...	Francesco
Karole Rocher	...	Chrys
Emmanuelle Bercot	...	Sue Ellen
Frédéric Pierrot	...	Baloo (as Frederic Pierrot)
Arnaud Henriet	...	Bamako
Naidra Ayadi	...	Nora
Jérémie Elkaïm	...	Gabriel
Wladimir Yordanoff	...	Beauchard
Laurent Bateau	...	Hervé, le mari de Nadine
Carole Franck	...	Céline

Storyline

The daily grind for the cops of the Police Department's Juvenile Protection Unit - taking in child molesters, busting underage pickpockets and chewing over relationship issues at lunch; interrogating abusive parents, taking statements from children, confronting the excesses of teen sexuality, enjoying solidarity with colleagues and laughing uncontrollably at the most unthinkable moments. Knowing the worst exists and living with it. How do these cops balance their private lives and the reality they confront every working day? Fred, the group's hypersensitive wild card, is going to have a hard time facing the scrutiny of Melissa, a photographer on a Ministry of the Interior assignment to document the unit.

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Plot Keywords:

police | pickpocket | abusive parent | child molester | photographer | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [fr] Official site [hu]

Country:

France

Language:

French Italian Romanian Arabic

Release Date:

19 October 2011 (France)

Also Known As:

Polis

Filming Locations:

Boulevard du Palais, Paris 1, Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$16,568 (USA) (18 May 2012)

Gross:

$171,320 (USA) (15 June 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Productions du Trésor, arte France Cinéma, Mars Distribution

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Baloo locks up the mother on drugs telling her "Police. Handcuffs. Prison." This can be seen as a reference to Luc Besson's movie Subway, as it is the exact laconic sentence of Commissioner Gesberg capturing the "Roller Skater".

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Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.18 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"BABY I'M YOURS"
(Thibaut Berland/ Ifrane Khan Acito)
Interprete par Breakbot
(p) & (c) Ed Banger Records under exclusive license to Because Music
(c) Because Editions/ Headbangers Publishing/ Lickshot

User Reviews

It sticks in my throat. It tears me up.

The average time that someone can work in child protection is two years. Some last longer, or there would not be supervisors, but it is a rough business, as this film depicts.

What should grab you is that they move from case to case without any continuity. This is the real world of child protection. You deal with a druggie mother today, a pederast grandfather tomorrow, and neglected or abused children the next day.

Some may find the language off-putting, but that is the way it is. You are under such stress during work, that you have to relieve it somehow after you get off. It may be crude, but it is effective.

I can also relate to those who lose it occasionally. You can put your heart and soul into this job, and get frustrated easily by parents and the bureaucracy.

The film may have been actors, but it has a documentary feel as they portray the action as it really happens.