Freelance writer. Melbourne based cinephile. Fond of food.
Event: -
Some films are a tough sell no matter how good they are, a fate that sadly befalls Polisse - an intense and unflinching look at a child protection unit in Paris.
Based on actual events and filmed in a verite style, Polisse has an undeniably authentic feel to it and in no way tries to wrap up its dour scenarios with neat endings. There are some much needed moments of humour and lightness when the crime unit staff let off steam, but for the most part this is grim material that slowly escalates to a powerful ending.
As if the subject of child abuse and neglect weren't hard enough to endure, the off-duty tensions that arise from such a stressful job get equal screen time, resulting in an awful lot of violent verbal conflict. The dialogue is pretty dense throughout the two-hour plus film, making for a lot of subtitle reading for those not fluent in French.
The effort is well worth it though, its not for nothing the film won the Jury prize at Cannes last year and was nominated for 13 Cesar awards (that's more than The Artist received). This is powerful stuff, well directed and featuring an impressive ensemble cast that creates a real believability to its characters. Karin Viard, mostly known for her comedic gifts, is especially excellent.
This isn't a happy skip through the park by any stretch of the imagination, but as a naturalistic portrayal of people dealing with the darker side of the human condition, it's pretty impressive.