Who doesn't love a good movie about police corruption? Yes, those in this particular profession are supposed to be the bastion of justice, the protector of the common people, and an inspiration to all. And I'm sure there are plenty of officers, sheriffs, and detectives who wear their uniforms, ignore their low salaries and outdated weapons, and risk their lives every day because they genuinely want to prevent society from descending into utter chaos. But, with each passing year, it seems like the number of righteous police officers is dwarfed by the number of dishonest cops who want to take bribes, suck up to politicians, and side with the highest bidder instead of their fellow citizens.
To make matters worse, movies and even TV shows around the world celebrate police brutality as it apparently "looks good" on both the big and small screens. And audiences keep enjoying it until, well, they're on the other end of the baton. So, every time someone attacks the police and exposes their true colors, I feel happy. Squad 36 is an exception, because while it has its heart in the right place, its narrative is absolute garbage.
Director: Olivier Marchal
Writers: Olivier Marchal, Michel Tourscher
Stars: Victor Belmondo, Tewfik Jallab, Yvan Attal
Olivier Marchal's Squad 36, which is based on Michel Tourscher's Flics' Requiem, tells the story of the titular team of police officers who are faced with gang violence. In addition to the protagonist, Antoine Cerda, the unit features Sami Belkaim, Hanna Levasseur, Richard Esteves, Vinny Segura, and Walid Jabrane, and their boss is Charles Balestra. We meet them as they try to chase a dangerous criminal, Karim Mahmoudi, through the rain-soaked streets of Paris, but are ultimately thwarted because Mahmoudi is too clever.
While everyone takes a breather to digest their failure, Antoine takes part in an underground cage fight organised by a man named Marcus Reinhart. Antoine is a big draw because the challengers there want to beat up the cops. However, when his involvement in this particular illegal activity comes to light due to an altercation that occurs outside the confines of the cage, Antoine is transferred to the Bobigny police station as punishment. Nearly a year later, Antoine discovers that members of his former squad are being killed by someone. He assumes it is Karim and tries to find clues that prove his theory. In doing so, he uncovers a deeper conspiracy that has the potential to destabilize all law enforcement authorities in the country.
Unlike lovers of “copaganda” (the subgenre of movies and shows that defend everything cops do), I am perfectly happy if a movie explicitly says that, given the chance, the defenders of justice are going to use the information they have about black money and try to pocket it. On top of that, if they show that in this post-truth era, true justice has become irrelevant and anyone who tries to abide by official rules and regulations, rather than unofficial ones, is going to die in the grimmest way imaginable, I’m ready to see it in a positive light.
But if the exploration of these themes is reserved for the last 10-15 minutes of the film, while the rest of its footage is used to solve a mystery that doesn’t exactly need to be solved, since the answer is right in front of your eyes, then I’m going to be a little upset. I can’t even imagine what must have happened to Marchal to take this convoluted approach to telling his story about something as universal as corruption. I wouldn’t have minded a slow-paced story about a national scandal if the characters were interesting, the plot twists were mind-blowing, and the conflict was fascinating. However, the script relies on hours of bland exposition, zero character development, and a whiny ending. That’s pathetic.
You have to give credit where credit is due: Squad 36 gets off to an explosive start. Mission: Impossible – Fallout, John Wick 4, and The Bourne Identity have set the standard for action sequences set in Paris, and John Wick 4’s wasn’t even filmed in Paris. But Marchal makes his mark by creating a symphony of chaos and confusion, aided by Erwann Kermorvant’s pulsating score, Denis Rouden’s kinetic cinematography, Claire Andrieu and Michael Laguens’ pitch-perfect editing, and the incredible work done by the stunt team.
That said, in doing so, the film peaks too soon, because the rest of it is nothing like that opening scene. No, I’m not saying I expected the film to be an all-out action movie. I’m saying the crime procedural should have been at least as intense as that chase scene.
Comments
Post a Comment