Les anges gardiens

This movie is both odd and quite funny. I saw Freebie And The Bean at the theater and laughed so hard I was actually asked to leave.

It's always a pleasure to watch Alan Arkin work, and he works so well playing off James Caan, who's fantastic in this film, too. Be forewarned, though, if you're bothered by things politically incorrect, you may be offended by Freebie And The Bean.

The story is unimportant because it's the comic skits that make this movie work. Freebie (James Caan) is part of a detective team who thinks the major part of his benefit package is whatever he can walk away with, while Bean (Alan Arkin) plods along worrying that his wife is having an affair with the landscaper. Freebie and the Bean crashing their car off an overpass and into the upper floor of an apartment building, Freebie giving Bean a fashion lesson about why buttons don't fall off of expensive shirts, or Bean grilling his wife, played by Valerie Harper, attempting to catch her in a lie about the suspected affair....these are worth watching the film for and are some of the funniest scenes I've ever seen. Keep in mind, though, this movie is quite violent and there's this fantastic trans-gendered character who seems to offend alot of folks as well.

I'll own this movie as soon as it comes out on DVD and I totally recommend it.

San Francisco police detectives Freebie (James Caan) and Bean (Alan Arkin) are doing everything and anything to take down crime boss Red Meyers (Jack Kruschen).

It's a lot of car crashes. James Caan and Alan Arkin have a lot of banter. It's all mildly humorous without being all that funny. I'm not sure that Caan and Arkin make a good comedic team or a good action team. Caan is not nearly funny enough to be comedic. Arkin is not hard enough to be dangerous. It's an odd couple of police partners. On the other hand, it is fascinating to see them paired up like this. It's the platypus of police movies.

A mainstay on cable in the 70's, Freebie and the Bean is by no means "great" but it certainly is thoroughly entertaining to anyone who doesn't let political correctness stand in their way.

This is no doubt a film that can offend; the two cops (especially Caan) use muscle whenever they can; a crossdresser is treated horribly and insulted; there's some racial humor. But hey, this was made in 1974 when people simply weren't as uptight as they are now.

It's a goofy movie, it has goofy music, goofy comedy and a goofy script. The goofiness, violence and non-political correctness of this flick make for an odd mix, but it's an entertaining mix. Cann and Arkin are great in their roles, and show geniune affection and friendship for each other as they try to keep a criminal alive to break a case.

Car chase fans especially like this movie, and there are some classic chases here! The highlight chase shows the duo chasing after a blue car with some truly amazing stuntwork.

All in all if you aren't the easily offended type, and like some goofy comedy mixed with action, it's worth a spin, if only to see how movies were made when not under a watchdog's microscope.

Before Riggs and Murtaugh, or even Starsky & Hutch, there's Freebie and The Bean, most in-your face buddy team of the police force. Maybe they are the laughing stock of the police force. These team make Dirty Harry want to change his ways of handling crime. These guys put the P.B. in Police Brutality! But in a funny way! Other than attacking the perpetrators they attack each other. Freebie(James Caan) is a hot-head and practical joker, while Bean(Alan Arkin) is calm in some ways just as the same as Freebie. Ford really put themselves in high gear with their vehicles, and the famous white LTD, took a lot of punishment through the movie. My favorite scenes is where the car leaped off the bridge, and made a window in someone's apartment. Calling a tow truck? HA! You better call a crane instead. While most cops work out their differences, Freebie and the Bean handle their way, they go at each others throats! This movie is funny, scary, and adventurous all together, with the choice of stars, everything was pulled off great. And how. What a comedy! While you have a chance. 4 out of 5 stars.

One of the best of the cop-buddy-movie genre. Although there is just enough realism to keep the story's premise afloat, Director Richard Rush makes sure that this film doesn't take itself too seriously. Alan Arkin turns in a first-rate performance as the "Bean", the straight guy (with a couple of kinks of his own) against James Cann's maverick "Freebie" character.

There are a few surprising twists, even though a flick this funny doesn't really need much of a plot.

With a strong supporting cast including Valerie Harper and Loretta Swit, I found this feature outrageously funny when I saw it in the theater in 1975, and it's still just as good today. There is a scene with Alex Rocco as the "D.A.", at which my dad, a real-life D.A. at the time, nearly fell out of his seat laughing.

If you can find this classic, by all means watch it. As long as you remember that it's just a spoof, no more a serious look at policing than "Police Academy" was, you'll enjoy yourself. If we're lucky, maybe a DVD release is in the cards.