The Inspectors - Un courrier explosif

I've long admired the work and professionalism of the U.S. Postal Inspectors Service and was happy to see them showcased in a film featuring such a top talent. I was also afraid that it would come out of Hollywood as your basic bit of brainless showbiz supercops nonsense. What an enjoyable relief to find my fears groundless. This film portrays solid, realistic, believable and honestly likeable characters doing their jobs in one of the worlds finest and least-known law enforcement services. The writing is solid, the direction crisp and the performances first-rate. Highly recommended.

Some of the ads for it led one to think it was. However, it was still an interesting movie of the whodunit genre (at least the first part). Not much of an ending tho. I gave it a 7.

The two cops are working for the post office: so what ? This is not different from any low budget TV police serial. The acting is not bad, but the action is low and the story a whole lot of clichés. If I had paid to see it, I would return it to the producer.

As soon as I read the TV guide I thought this is just like Seven, 'two oddly matched postal inspectors'. Hollywood has a way of taking a hit movie, and then paying idiot writers to make it three or four different ways, and another thing. Why in the heck would they re-make a movie? Because the idiot writers are not unique, no originality, everyone wants to make a fast buck, and when they strike out they send it straight to DVD. i showed my movie script to five friends and all gave me an A+, but try and get someone in Hollywood to read it, and they say they have writers on the payroll. I say good for you, I think I'll go buy some stock in a company that make blank DVDs, I'll be rich.

If you like crime, mystery, etc you like procedurals. This is way better than it should be for a TV movie from the 90s. Only dated in that they try to use the internet and some retrospective silliness there, briefly. Otherwise, top notch, decently acted, and very good on procedures.

Everything takes time. They put together a case by diligence, hard work, and show how boring it is to make a career and a case. Zero people are shot and while cars are driven fast to get places, there is maybe sorta one car chase cut short because the police have radios.

Also interesting to see a different agency. The Postal Inspectors have an interesting mandate and are feds, and when a Sheriff disparages them, they win just by reminding them of that. Also filmed very clearly with the delighted participation of the USPS so inside mail facilities, real mail trucks, probably real crime labs, which adds to the interest for procedural-nerds like me.

Ignore much of the description. The two leads are not mismatched, etc. There's enough personal life and their relationship to make a good movie but it's more a crime procedural than a "buddy" movie or anything.