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 Screened exclusively at BIFF 2011 [Rating N/A]
Director: Maïwenn Le Besco
Runtime: 129 mins.
An official selection of the 2011 Cannes Festival this year and subsequent winner of the Prix de Jury, Polisse marks a serious break-out point for French triple threat (here writing, directing and acting) Maïwenn Le Besco. It seems ex Luc Besson (with whom she has a daughter) might want to keep his hand firmly on the megaphone, for fear it may be wrested away.
Melissa (Maïwenn), a photographic journalist whose relationship is failing, is assigned to document what it's like being part of the Parisian Child Protection Unit, and what happens on a daily basis. What becomes immediately apparent is this: the unit have a tough job, dealing with a wide variety of cases including paedophilia, child abuse, rape, prostitution, and a host of other familial issues that hit each of the unit members squarely in the chest.
The unit work hard and party hard, but this is not nearly the same as your typical lawyers leaving the office at 11pm for a quiet whisky after defending corrupt bankers all day. Following a particularly fraught case involving a baby, the gang head out to a seedy bar to dance, drink, and party, which is actually an important scene for the rest of the film and shows the tipping point for the love-hate relationship between Fred (Joey Starr) and Melissa.
Writer-director Maïwenn (and co-writer Emmanuelle Bercot – who also plays Sue Ellen in the film) do a great job of leaning in on this group and exposing the fragile dynamic that exists within the unit – extending out (as well as yo-yoing back in) to their personal lives, due to the daily exposure to high pressure and emotionally devastating situations. The well-formed characters and the somewhat explosive screenplay also achieves a careful balance of morality (when dealing with the cases) and realism in expressing the grey areas of love and life. Thankfully, the unit's raucous banter provides comic relief here and there, as an absolute necessity to give the audience a brief respite from the frank, disturbing subject matter.
Shot mostly in an intimate cinema verité style and based on real cases from the Parisian CPU, Polisse is a mature effort from Maïwenn Le Besco and features strong, emotionally spent performances from the ensemble cast, highlighting the dark side of humanity.
****
KATIA NIZIC
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