Polisse (2011)

I enjoyed this film. I think. It’s candid (sometimes very candid), and follows a child protection unit (CPU) in the Paris police force. These are the people who track down runaway crack-whores and their babies, break up gypsy-run child exploitation gangs, and prosecute paedophiles. It sounds a fun job.

The film follows the group rather than individuals, although personal storylines of some of the characters are explored, and we see them together either at work or unwinding afterwards with food and wine – it’s all very French. They argue, they shout, they’re a group of passionate people. They’ve been thrown together in a difficult career and appear to have bonded through the difficulty.

Into this mix is thrown Melissa (played by writor/director Maïwenn), a photographer who wants to follow the unit, capturing key events and scenes on film.

It’s a film with a completely different style to what I usually experience when I venture into French film. Think of Amilé, Potiche, Delicatessen - all of them very different films but with that little bit of French quirkiness and oddness about them; the type of oddness that I can only usually deal with in small doses. Polisse has none of that and has encouraged me to try French cinema more often for it really is quite a good film.

Visually it isn’t particularly disturbing. They’re obviously not going to show most of the crimes that they’re dealing with on film. There are many police interviews however, which frequently go into detail of the offences the suspects are accused of – both with the suspects themselves, and with witnesses/children. This makes for some uncomfortable viewing. It would be hard to watch police interviews with remorseless paedophiles without some strong emotions rising up - the obvious surprise and shock, with a twinge of disgust and a base-note of anger. I personally enjoyed that though. They’re not feelings that get expressed all that often in day-to-day life and I think it’s good practice to bring them out every now and then.  Happy smiley films are all very well but I really value those films that properly affect you and the way you feel. Is that not what they’re for after all?

And if that does nothing for you, wait for the end. Set a little later after a summer break, it feels a little bit like it’s just been tagged on for completeness. It’s not quite long enough to assert itself as a decent section of the film and me with a new feeling – surprise, yes, but mostly confusion.