La spiata

Maybe I was a bit young (15 I think) when I first saw this, in a french cinema without subtitles so I didn't even understand that much - but it left a strong impression and when I rewatched it a few years later with a more critical eye, it was still a very strong movie. There are more violent thrillers out there, but in the case of "La Balance", it's unsettling because you care for those people. I guess it's got something to do with the cast, it's a bunch of character faces you won't forget, especially Philippe Léotard. So, in contrast to many other thrillers, the violence in "La Balance" is never fun to watch - those are scenes where you'd like to close your eyes (which is the best way to portrait violence, in my opinion, if you don't happen to make an action comedy). Highly recommended!

I can't believe that this movie has no comments and hardly any votes. It's a tough 1982 thriller set in Paris' Algerian sector. A specialist Police Unit pressurise a pimp and his hooker into becoming informants to enable them to bring down a local gangster. Although directed by an American (spot the U.S. film posters at the Police Station), the film is full of French style. The clothes, the food, the shades... The pacing is fast, the plot is good and the characters are fascinating. Baye is incredibly sexy as the 'tart with a heart' and Leotard looks suitably seedy as the pimp in love with her. It's a strange relationship, letting your lover have sex with strangers in order to put money in the joint account! I also like the way that the cops, who arrest and harass hookers, are shown to be willing to use their services on lonely nights. Pace, excitement, black humour and romance. What more can one ask from a thriller? 8/10

Watched this last night - a belting French Cops and Robbers drama set among the Paris version of the flying squad. It opens with their main informant being murdered and they need replacement to get Mr Big.

They lean on a Dede (Philippe Léotard) a small time crook and pimp and his whore/girlfriend(Nathalie Baye) to persuade them to snitch on Messina.

They use threats,beatings - in fact anything to get a result. The cops are played in a very unsympathetic light - the're really thugs who bend the law to suit their ends.

Interestingly both Dede and Nicole are are much more attractive characters - he's her pimp but he loves her as she loves him. You really care about them as they are exploited by the cops who don't care what happens to them as long as they get their villian. There are car chases and shoot-outs aplenty but its the central relationship that lifts this above your average cop movie.

All the leads are well played and you hope things will work out for Dede and Nicloe but you know life isn't like that.

Not an obvious ending either and directed with an intesity by Bob Swaim who films it almost as a documentry so real is the gritty feel of the Parisian undwerworld.

Highly reccomended.

Set in the cobbled, mean streets of the Belleville quarter in París , it deals with a Police brigade led by Inspector Mathias : Richard Berry that compels a couple formed by a prostitute named Nicole : Natalie Baye and her pimp called Dede : Philippe Leotard . The latter on the outs with his gangster boss because of a quarrel over Nicole. The cops force to the crook to be an informer - or Balance in French language or Mule - by leaning on the prostitute he very much loves. As the police officers scramble for a substitute deciding on Dede. As he must double-cross a dangerous gangster : Maurice Ronet and henchman : Tcheky Karyo.

A French thriller , nicknamed "Polar" , with all the usual requisites as betrayals , dispute , shootouts , car chases and lowlife infighting are delivered with great verbe , action-packed and well-paced . It results to be a decent thriller , but what really distinguishes this Polar is the enjoyable strength on the emotional front . Detailing equally a strong police corruption with cops scrambling for a replacement using nasty methods, as coercing and violence to put a heinous squeeze on the starring to be an informant. Develoving a complex intrigue in which loyalties become more and more crossed until treason is the only means to salvation . Main and support cast are pretty good . Philippe Leotard at last breaks his traditional acting to give us a superb interpretation as the racketeer pimp with a heart of glass , while Nathalie Baye is also top-notch as the Parisian streetwalker prostitute in distress. They are well accompanied by a fine French cast, such as : Richard Berry as tough police inspector, Maurice Ronet as mob boss , Tcheky Karyo as a ruthless hoodlum , Christopher Malavay, Francois Berleand, among others.

It contains an evocative and realist cinematogrphy of the French slums and police station by Bernard Zitzermann. The motion picture was well directed by a good craftsman called Bob Swain who has made a few agreeable films with nice casting as "Half Moon Street" with Michael Caine, Sigourney Weaver, "Masquerade" with Rob Lowe, Kim Cattrall , Atlantide, and "Climb" with John Hurt, Gregory Smith . Rating 6/10 . Acceptable and passable , it it will appeal to French thrillers aficionados .

The psychological techniques of the Chief Inspector Palouzi(Richard Berry)and his sometimes cruel, but equally compassionate portrayal of a decent human being, "just doing his job" was quite well done--Hat's off to Bob Swain--Chicago's own! Berry-himself of French-Algerian decent, is very smooth; and his mature attitude--not arrogance--is what pulls him though. The Acting by Nathalie Baye and the late Philippe Leotard was also excellent. Some of the chases and Arrests were Hokey-but, the Overwhelming theme here is the true devotion of a Woman(Baye) to her Man(Leotard). We need more stories about devotion to People, rather than Devotion to careers or even countries-- No displaced loyalties here--Baye's acting was superb, and I am married to a very devoted woman, so I identify with her loyalty to "Dede"!

Does anyone Know what Richard Barry(Benguigui) is doing these days? He is a fine actor. Bon Chance to all! Try and see this one, if you haven't already seen it.