6.6/10
970
15 user 9 critic

La balance (1982)

R | | Crime, Drama, Romance | 10 November 1982 (France)
La balance Poster
Nicole is a Parisian streetwalker and Dede is her racketeer boyfriend, on the outs with his mob bosses because of a dispute over Nicole. When a police informant ("balance") is murdered, the... See full summary »

Director:

Bob Swaim

Writers:

Mathieu Fabiani (dialogue) (as M. Fabiani), Bob Swaim (dialogue) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Nathalie Baye, Philippe Léotard, Richard Berry | See full cast & crew »
Reviews

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3 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

See all 15 photos »
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Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nathalie Baye ... Nicole Danet
Philippe Léotard ... André Laffont dit Dédé
Richard Berry ... L'inspecteur Mathias Palouzi
Maurice Ronet ... Roger Massina
Bernard Freyd Bernard Freyd ... Le Capitaine
Christophe Malavoy ... Tintin
Jean-Paul Comart ... Le Belge (as Jean-Paul Connart)
Albert Dray Albert Dray ... Carlini
Florent Pagny Florent Pagny ... Simoni
Tchéky Karyo ... Petrovic (as Tcheky Karyo)
Raouf Ben Yaghlane Raouf Ben Yaghlane ... Djerbi
Galia Salimo Galia Salimo ... Sabrina - la prostituée (as Galia Dujardin)
Sam Karmann Sam Karmann ... Paulo Sanchez
Robert Atlan Robert Atlan ... Ayouche
Luc-Antoine Diquéro Luc-Antoine Diquéro ... Picard
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Nicole is a Parisian streetwalker and Dede is her racketeer boyfriend, on the outs with his mob bosses because of a dispute over Nicole. When a police informant ("balance") is murdered, the cops have to scramble for a replacement. Deciding on Dede, they begin to put a nasty squeeze on him and Nicole. Written by Paul Berk <pbnyc@compuserve.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

underwear | sex | sex in public | sex club | nudity | See All (205) »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

10 November 1982 (France) See more »

Also Known As:

The Nark See more »

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films Ariane, Films A2 See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 55912. See more »

Connections

References Bullitt (1968) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

 
Excellent Thriller With Gallic Style
13 November 2001 | by Kevin-142 – See all my reviews

I can't believe that this movie has no comments and hardly any votes. It's a tough 1982 thriller set in Paris' Algerian sector. A specialist Police Unit pressurise a pimp and his hooker into becoming informants to enable them to bring down a local gangster. Although directed by an American (spot the U.S. film posters at the Police Station), the film is full of French style. The clothes, the food, the shades... The pacing is fast, the plot is good and the characters are fascinating. Baye is incredibly sexy as the 'tart with a heart' and Leotard looks suitably seedy as the pimp in love with her. It's a strange relationship, letting your lover have sex with strangers in order to put money in the joint account! I also like the way that the cops, who arrest and harass hookers, are shown to be willing to use their services on lonely nights. Pace, excitement, black humour and romance. What more can one ask from a thriller? 8/10
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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