Police

A must see, sensitive narrative of three police officers in charge of conducting a political extradite to the airport. The plot is shown (lightly) within the four character perspectives, and only marginally focus on international fairness regarding political issues, as decisions are immediate personal responses.

More of a character study from different perspectives than a full-blown movie. It is difficult to digest why Virginie needed to form a relationship with the cocky tinted cop who seemed to be totally in love with himself and for most of the movie was patronizing towards her. Can understand the husband's slight outburst when he has to deal with their young child almost alone. So things don't appear to totally ring true. Would have been better if the deportee's background and situation had been better explained. Instead he simply broods throughout the movie. Had potential but not fully explored. Felt a little cheated at the end where you have to decide on everyone's fate for yourself . Female lead was the best performance but not a movie to embrace. Felt a little self-indulgent and over-arty.

The real star of _Night Shift_ is cinematographer Yves Angelo, who shot tableaux after 2.35:1 tableaux of beautiful, impressionistic night scenes. Usually night scenes come off as garbage on my computer screen; not this one! Angelo was a highly regarded and award-winning cinematographer in the 90s (_Un Couer en Hiver_ being a particular standout). He dabbled in directing afterwards (_Colonel Chabert_ is very good) but has mostly stuck to director of photography duties since. His work with director Anne Fontaine in _White as Snow_ is interesting too, dynamic and atmospheric, although I didn't notice it was him when I saw the film.

It is admitted an odd screenplay coming from Anne Fontaine. Her recent films have centered around charismatic heroines asserting themselves, their ideals, in settings unfamiliar to them, and in the process rediscovering themselves. _Night Shift_ is in contrast an ensemble piece, a snapshot of the lives of three police officers in France. Omar Sy (famous for "Lupin") and Virginie Efira (who is in every other French film these days) do their best to dramatize their soul-destroying, family-wrecking vocation. It is adapted from a novel. The title "Police" is infinitely more evocative than the English one, as the film treats the immigrant in their charge, about to be deported, as a cipher. The cathartic ending is better than most reviewers would have you believe.

This is not a crime film. Although it takes place in a police station and then inside a police vehicle taking an illegal immigrant back to the border.

The director tries to make her story modern by retelling the same scene three times, that is, from the point of view of our three protagonists, in a form that takes its time. They then asked them to invite a foreigner to the airport to be deported to a horrific sin where he risks death. Anne Fontaine makes the right choice not to have the foreigner speak French, and above all not to have him express himself, to focus on the moods of our three policemen and their dilemma: should they respect the procedure, or let him go, i.e. Escape, with the risks incurred for them, and for him, who is not neutral.

The film exposes the personal background of each of our police officers, as any video-on-demand series now does. This background is a little boring at times. As does the sentimental intrigue between some of them. But the actors are good and committed, and we believe in their dilemmas.

Very well played and dramatized story of a female police officer trying to make her way in a male dominated environment while following her instincts and compassion along the way. Not so much a must-see, but a warm female look into the street police routine and definitely enjoyable main cast.