Polisse (2011)

Except for a few documentaries there has not been a movie that pictures the life and work of Investigators of the vice squat as well as this one. Of course there is a lot of added drama but that's why it's a movie and not a documentary. For anyone though that can enjoy a Slice of Life of this profession.

Where they get the actors and the extra's I don't know but they are so genuinely convincing that you could easily feel like watching a documentary. The story lines are confrontational and there is no smoothing it over like any CSI episode. Although it doesn't have a big storyline it draws you in. The interaction, the dynamics and the characters are more than worth it to watch this.

Bar none the best police movie in ages.

Fmovies: I had no idea that this film had many nominations at last year's César awards (the french Oscars). I started to see it on cable and immediately got interested in the subject and the way they handle it. It's straight forward but subtle at the same time. It has a good moving pace, there's always something going on. The array of characters is very rich and even though there's no time to get more deeply into their private worlds, you get to understand that they are mere human beings doing their best at their job, which is trying to protect all "minors" from abusive situations. I specially liked the realism of the characters, you end up caring for most of them and wishing them well in their actions.

now that is a good film..too much talk in the dialog, which is famous in the french cinema and drama in general ,but this time it was well used i was not bothered by it,it's stayed real,and dealing with a true realistic problem without exaggeration, presenting it as is- i felt like as if its a reality drama ,that a hidden camera was shooting a real life events not drama,that is success,the film is deep and subtle and its emotional too,acting is very well carried out... even by the minors who were interviewed and the children,i must emphasis on" Maïwenn's" acting ,it was very calm yet deep and superb."Joey starr" was good too in some moments though he was exaggerating in anger in others but over all good acting i say if you have a chance to go watch this film, please do it s worth it really.

Polisse fmovies. I had been looking forward to seeing this film and knew that it had gotten good reviews by critics who I respect. But after seeing it, I am not on the same page. My review may stand out on IMDb as in "which one of these is not like the other". I did not find it funny, nor thrilling, nor a triumph of acting. It's true that this is a star-studded cast, however, there is also a lot of overacting going on. What I saw made me wonder why such frat house behavior among so-called professionals drew IMDb user raves and 13 Cesar award nominations and a Best Film win at Cannes.

And then I tracked down Mick LaSalle's San Francisco Chronicle review and he gave me the perspective needed to understand this film. It is this: Maiwenn Le Besco was the model used for Natalie Portman's film debut (at age 12) in The Professional. Maiwenn came to the attention of that film's director, Luc Besson, at age 15 and had his child at age 16. It all makes sense when viewed through that lens.

The officers of the children's protective services unit often seem to not like children at all, let alone view their job as one of protection. They are unbelievably rude to children and adults alike, physically violent to the people they bring in for questioning, openly mocking & humiliating of adolescents who've been coerced into sexual acts, have a perpetual chip on their shoulder as to their wider standing within the police force, overreact to most everything, and seem to spend an inordinate amount of time having meals and drinks and evenings out with each other as a group. Many of the user reviews chalk this up to some sort of battle fatigue in a group who takes their job so, so seriously. It seems to me, however, that this is a group of people with open disdain for much of the rest of the population, and each other, and they seem to have the opposite reaction to specific cases as one would expect from a professional investigative officer: hysterically leaping en masse into a citywide search for a woman who has taken a child, perhaps her own, vs. lovingly telling the boy whose coach molested him that the man might one day return to coaching because prison time will have taught him that what he did was wrong. This only makes sense from the perspective of someone who has personal experience with her voice being diminished by those who should have protected her.

I notice also that some reviews comment on the ending making no sense and being really rather terrible. It is hard to know which piece of the ending they are speaking about but let me just say that, to me, that last bit with Iris was the most real part of the entire film. I totally understand every aspect of that. Especially with Mick's insight.

In Paris, the photographer Melissa (Maïwenn) is assigned by the Ministry of the Interior to document the daily activities of the BPM – the Police Division for Child Protection under the command of Chief Baloo (Frederic Pierrot).

Along the days, Melissa witnesses and takes photos of pedophiles, children and women abusers and abused and befriends the team of detectives, sharing their investigations along the working days and leaning how their jobs affect their private lives. Soon she has a love affair with the sensitive and emotive Detective Fred (Joeystarr).

"Polisse" is an entertaining French docudrama about a team of police officers responsible to protect children from abuses. The screenplay uses ellipsis and it seems that is based on true stories. It is good to see how the team works and their relationship outside the work, showing that the officers are human beings with families and problems affected by their work.

The weakest part is the character Melissa, with her touristic and unprofessional camera, and taking her glasses off and loosening her hair in a silly behavior. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Polissia" ("Polisse")

Polisse was my favourite film at the recent Sydney Film Festival. A french film from writer, director, star Maiween, it tells the story of the Child Protection Unit in Paris. It was absolutely riveting from start to finish.

An ensemble piece that moves at a cracking pace, it could be forgiven for not establishing character, but it actually manages to do that and do it very well. We are introduced to this group of close knit colleagues as they go about their day trying to balance the horrors they have to deal with (rapists, kidnappers, abusers, paedophiles) with their personal lives.

Maiween spent quite some time with a real CPU and told us in the Q&A that all the cases she featured are just like ones she witnessed and with that experience she brought an almost documentary feel at the same time as adding creative drama and plot to moments of the story as they rush through case after case. The performances are all excellent and the editing is sublime (it won a French Oscar for this).

It's shocking, emotional, intense and surprisingly very funny.

Highly recommended if you like hard-hitting films that deal with serious subjects in a very human and darkly humorous way.