Le Petit Lieutenant (2005)

79% of critics liked it
(53 reviews)
59% of users liked it
(2,296 ratings)

A young, inexperienced detective is inducted into an elite Paris plainclothes unit in Le Petit Lieutenant, directed by Xavier Beauvois (Don't Forget You're Going to Die). Antoine (Jalil Lespert or Human Resources) is as gung-ho as they come, and eager to learn everything he needs to know to be a… More A young, inexperienced detective is inducted into an elite Paris plainclothes unit in Le Petit Lieutenant, directed by Xavier Beauvois (Don't Forget You're Going to Die). Antoine (Jalil Lespert or Human Resources) is as gung-ho as they come, and eager to learn everything he needs to know to be a good cop, although he misses his wife (Bérangère Allaux), a schoolteacher who stayed behind in the country when Antoine took his new job. Antoine socializes with his new comrades, who seem to drink an awful lot, with the exception of the unit commander, Caroline (Nathalie Baye), an alcoholic who has just returned from a long stint on desk duty. The other experienced detectives that Antoine looks up to are the cynical Louis (Antoine Chappey), and the stalwart Solo (Roschdy Zem), who in addition to the rigors of the job faces bigotry due to his Moroccan origin. When a Polish immigrant is found murdered in a canal near the station, the unit begins a methodical investigation, eventually learning that the victim was last seen with a couple of Russians. When a second victim is rescued from the waters of the canal a few days later, the case takes on a new urgency. As Antoine tries to fit in and learn on the job, Caroline struggles with her addiction and forms an almost maternal bond with the rookie. Le Petit Lieutenant also features Jacques Perrin, and was shown by the Film Society of Lincoln Center as part of their 2006 Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 50 min.
Directed By: Xavier Beauvois
Written By: Cédric Anger, Xavier Beauvois, Guillaume Bréaud, Jean-Eric Troubat
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Sep 8, 2006 Limited
On DVD: Apr 10, 2007
Studio: Cinema Libre

Critic Reviews

David Germain, Associated Press
A quiet powerhouse of a film, an implacable, uncompromising French police drama, both old-fashioned and modern, that underlines the reasons impeccably made crime stories do so well on-screen.
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
Le Petit Lieutenant shows how good French movies can be when they stay French and don't try to go international.
Leighton Klein, Boston Globe
... you can sense Baye's struggling within the limits imposed on her.
Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times
Le Petit Lieutenant looks at Antoine's life with lyricism.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
Beauvois makes the milieu his own, too, showing us credible and affecting human beings caught up in a world that often reveals humanity at its worst.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
The movie's realism is unimpeachable, though American cops might be stunned by the idea of a half-dozen detectives being assigned to the murder of an anonymous floater.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
The rarely done genre of the French policier is alive and well in director Xavier Beauvois' dynamic movie
Louis Proyect, rec.arts.movies.reviews
French version of upscale cop shows like NYPD Blue or The Wire.
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, TheMovieChicks.com
Gives the audience a strong sense that you're watching how things really go down in a police station... only without all the action and excitement of a TV cop show.
Emily S. Mendel, culturevulture.net
To cut to the chase...this is a very French, understated, intelligent, slow, police procedural that ultimately engrosses and then surprises the viewer. If you don't see it in a theater, it would be a great rental.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
As a portrayal of the angst that permeates most police work...certainly a success. As drama, however, it's far from riveting.
Doris Toumarkine, Film Journal International
A hugely satisfying policier that delivers exceptional performances.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Still mourning the end of Helen Mirren in TV's Prime Suspect? You might want to give Le Petit Lieutenant a whirl.
David Elliott, San Diego Union-Tribune
Basically a vivid meal of characters, plus coffee and wine and one gin tonic, Le Petit Lieutenant keeps true to its brasserie menu.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
The film's plot, revolving around a murder investigation that turns nasty, ticks along smoothly and efficiently. But it's ultimately more of a character drama, and a reminder that great acting often has little to do with words.
Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News
... one that will likely earn more respect from viewers than it will passion.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Mike N

It's March! :fresh: [img]http://homeroom.pnca.edu/docs/inline/1695[/img]
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Le Petit Lieutenant" starts out with Antoine Derouere(Jalil Lespert) graduating from the police academy and chooses as his first assignment the detective squad in Paris, much to the consternation of his young wife, who does not want to leave her… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Le Petit Lieutenant" starts out with Antoine Derouere(Jalil Lespert) graduating from the police academy and chooses as his first assignment the detective squad in Paris, much to the consternation of his young wife, who does not want to leave her teaching job in Le Havre. In Paris, Antoine is assigned to the Crime Unit under Commander Caroline Vaudieu(Nathalie Baye), a recovering alcoholic, two years sober, and only now returning to active duty. Things settle into a routine after a while for Antoine until a body turns up in the canal who turns out to be a drunk Antoine helped process a short time before.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Le Petit Lieutenant" is an absorbing police procedural that is more interested in character than in mystery.(It also explores the themes of prisons and racism.) This is a subdued movie that is layered in details about people going about their jobs on a daily basis.(While the policemen in this film may worship the violence of American films, the reality is most often quite different.) It avoids expectations throughout and only during one critical sequence does it telegraph its punches.[/font]
Curt C

Strikingly real French cop drama. Beauvois simply goes about telling his story and developing his characters with no Hollywood "tricks". Thankfully, the story is damn good and the characters are intriguing, which makes the events that unfold all the more powerful.