Gomez & Tavarès

I never knew the French could make such cool movies. Laconic and violent, with obvious homages to the 1970s, "Gomez & Tavares" a.k.a. "Payoff" is full of action, blasts, and lots of fun. While the script may have some minor flaws around its edges (not grave though), this movie works just fine, with some fine acting, cool dialogue, excellent photography and brilliant editing (yes indeed!). The soundtrack (both the musical score and the sound effects track) deserves some a special mention for a job not just well done, but outstandingly done. This film looks and sounds much more expensive than it probably was. Even my girl-friend, The Brain, liked it, which I guess means that the movie is sort of smart. Never mind the signifier or the signified. This film is pure "parole". Enjoy.

In Marseille, the lazy and dirty police Detective Maxime "Max" Tavarès (Titoff) is assigned by Commissaire Cagnoty (Etienne Chicot) to work with Detective Carlos Gomez (Stomy Bugsy), who has just been transferred from Paris. Gomez has problem to accept the procedures of the corrupt Max and they investigate the apparent suicide of the accountant Lucino. The efficient Gomez finds a four leaf clover into Lucino's nose and they seek out his daughter, the stripper Paulina Lucino (Élodie Navarre), and who might be the killer. They stumble with two criminals in front of her building and they arrest them. When a hit-man posing of lawyer kills the two men in the district, Gomez and Max conclude that there is an informer in the precinct. Meanwhile they contact Paulina and she asks for protection and a painting of her mother that is on the wall of her father 's apartment. Meanwhile Max is pressed by the Internal Affairs to help in the investigation of his partner, who lives in a fancy and expensive house with his wife, two sons and his sister Gina (Noémie Lenoir) and is more corrupt then him. When they find an account book in Lucino's safe, Paulina is the only one that can decipher the document. However Max and Gomez decide to use the document to extort the powerful mobster lord Silvio Baginorelli (Philippe Lemaire) and raise money. Will they succeed in their intent?

"Gomez & Tavarès" is a French film that does not work well, since the director is lost between crime and comedy genres, using the clichés of the genres. In addition, the unlikable characters that are amoral and dirty do not help to create empathy with any of them. The worst is that I saw this movie on VHS awfully dubbed in English. In the credits the viewer sees why Paulina was dying for having the painting. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Payoff – Acima da Lei" ("Payoff – Above Law")

Before being an action movie, this is a comedy. The cynical kind. Maybe not for everyone. And like any comedy, it HAS to be seen in original version. So, if you don't understand french, just don't watch it. Action and comedy are definitely not genres that french are good at, but this one is really good. A rare piece then. Titoff and Jean Yann are especially good in their character. Another reviewer said Titoff was "the best cop" in Marseille. Really he didn't understand anything of the movie. Titoff is on the contrary a total loser cop and really nailed it. Other actors are not doing as good a job, but still correct. Good humour, good action, good picture, smart ending.

I saw this movie at the German Fantasy Film Festival last year. The story starts with a typical buddy-movie setup: Tavares is a cop in Marseille. He is smart, somewhat good looking . and he is corrupt. Nevertheless nobody in the police department seems to care about his little misconducts. One day Tavares gets a new partner. Gomez is coming directly from Paris. He is one hundred per cent law-abiding and hates corruption. From the very first moment Tavares and Gomez are at each other's throats. But they have to work together. Investigating the murder of an accountant who was working for a drug cartel they have to protect his daughter who might be the key to bring down the syndicate. Eventually the mafia wants to eliminate the girl and the two cops. Let the havoc begin...

On the one hand `Payoff' reminded me of the light-hearted French action comedies of the Seventies I used to watch on TV when I was a kid (Belmondo's `L'Animal' comes to mind). On the other hand the movie clearly imitates modern American cop movies like `Bad Boys' or the `Lethal Weapon' series - especially when it comes to the visual style. Actually Marseille (the setting of the film) is presented as if it was Florida or California. The story might have its weak points and it also exploits a number of clichés, but there are lots of great action scenes and funny dialogues to keep you entertained.

This movie is not bad. The Action is good, the whole movie has a great look. It might have some little problems at the end, when the filmmakers really try to make this movie look more "international" or "hollywoodstylish", but that is okay, because it ist a charming movie. This movie is real good entertainment. And that's what this movie is made for!

Unfortunally some viewers want to watch a Michael-Bay-Movie. But guys: Michael Bay has budgets of more than 100 Millionen Bucks per movie! And compare this movie to all those American action-movies made for the international video / DVD - market in the last years (sind 1995). Most of these movies were bad and even worse. So "Gomez et Travares" might not be a masterpiece, but it is better than most b-Actionmovies from Hollywood of the last years.