Cop turned director is a new one on me but there's always a first time I guess. One thing's sure Marchal has a lot of balls in titling his film as he has and so inviting direct comparison with the only other film to employ as its title the address of the Police headquarters in Paris, Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1947 classic called simply Quai des orfevres without the number which is superfluous. Clouzot's movie is well over 50 years old and featured a more sedate form of detection - Louis Jouvet was not exactly Monsieur Hard Man and, like the man said, the times they are a changing. Marchal, who began taking acting lessons when he was still a cop (so that's how they perfect the good cop/bad cop routine) and went on to play in several TV crime series, has based his story on a real situation, the internicine rivalry in the eighties between the BRI and the BRB, both working out of the Quai. Co-scriptwriter Dominique Loiseau was a player and this is partly his story. The film is dominated by two lions in winter, Gerard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil recalling Duke Wayne and Bob Mitchum in El Dorado, two ageing pros if not yet over the hill certainly at the summit, so these two craggy bears, polar bears if you will, polar being the French name for gangster/caper/crime films, light up the screen no question about it as the respective heads of the BRB (Brigade de Repression du Banditisme, that's Major Heists to you and me) and BRI (Brigade de Recherche et d'Intervention (we're Gangbusters, Man). There's a history between these two, we're never QUITE told the full story which is a masterstroke, but it involves Vrink's (Auteuil) wife, who may have once been Klein's (Depardieu) girl. To sweeten the pot Mancini (Andre Dussollier) head honcho announces his retirement leaving his job up for grabs; both are equally qualified but it's an open secret that the first guy to nail a particularly violent gang will become the new chief. Auteuil is our Dirty Harry kind of cop, often worse than the villains he's after but he DOES usually get them in the end, Depardieu is a tad choosier but not TOO good to live. To say more wouldn't really add much, I found myself a little intrigued by the long, black leather coats worn by both Brigades, resembling nothing so much as the outfit of choice of the Stasi in East Germany and I HOPE this is an oblique comment on the fact that (England at least) is slowly becoming a Police state. All in all an enjoyable romp and well worth 8 stars.

Thrilling and intelligent cop thriller about police world , corruption and delinquency ; revolving around two detectives who try to solve a series of armored car robberies in the hopes of landing a promotion promised to whoever catches the perpetrators . A stylish , complex movie driven by two main characters . This exciting film contains action , violence , thrills , treason , suspense and plot twists . Top-notch thriller in which nothing is the way it seems , the atmosphere is already tense and the twists and turns are the best part of this movie . In other ways , it feels like a tribute to ¨Polar¨ genre or French Noir Cinema , full of attractive roles and edge-of-your-seat intrigue . The Police is frustrated by a dangerous band who carries out bold robberies , they are the most famous armed thieves of Paris . But their irresistible rise and sudden fall to be ended with a surprising arrest by a denouncement proceeded by an informer . Leo Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil) and Denis Klein (Gérard Depardieu) are two cops who take on a strong battle of wits . Both , Vrinks and Klein , seeking promotion , and the imminent departure of the superior boss (Andre Dussollier) sets the scene for them to compete for the vacant job . Klein , married to wealthy mistress called Hélène (Anne Consigny) , wishes a rapid work advancement and at whatever cost . Vrinks , encounter with a source , Hugo Silien (Roschdy Zem) , becomes involved with a killing . This meeting to be aware Klein , he then seizes the opportunity to up and manages for the detention of Leo . When Klein viciously involves Vrinks' spouse (Valeria Golino) the happenings go awry . Vrinks returns from prison and he has disowned nothing of his past , as he comes back into his former life and then emerges violence , chases , betrayal and relentless as well as inevitable vendetta .

Formula thriller filled with gritty intrigue , crisply edition , tension , suspenseful and lots of violence . It is a flick of interwoven lives structured in two protagonists , crossed by a web of suspense that is resolved in the last story in a surprising finale . Furthermore , a real description about the underbelly of the Parisian criminal world , including a ruthless gang committing a series of violent robberies . The flick revolves around tragic events become complex throughout the movie . The competition between them becomes increasingly hard and blurs the usual lines of ethic and morality , until there seems no difference between police and delinquents they pursue . This serious and truly original film with groundbreaking narrative results to be a fantastically intriguing story of ambition , corruption , deceiving and killing , being very well done , swiftly paced and including a twisted screenplay . The film was noteworthy for casting some of the finest actors in France . Exceptional acting by Daniel Auteuil as an unfortunate cop who executes a merciless vengeance and nice Gerard Depardieu as ambitious police with dark purports . Support cast is frankly good , such as Valeria Golino , André Dussollier , Roschdy Zem , Anne Consigny , Mylène Jampanoï and Daniel Duval as Eddy Valance , a good French actor who played several Noir flicks . And special mention for Mylène Demongeot who long time ago starred several films of all kinds of genres . The picture achieved big success , whose visa d'exploitation in France was #104874 , and it was nominated various prizes César and considered to be one of the best thrillers of the year in which you'll leave the cinema shaken and moved . Thrilling as well as evocative musical score by Erwann Kermorvant and Axelle Renoir who have composed successful films , both of whom elevate the emotion and the intensity of the scenes to new heights . Colorful as well as dark cinematography by Denis Rouden .

Olivier Marchal did a formidable job with ¨36th precinct¨ . Olivier then wrote the first draft of the interesting screenplay himself , and so on ; being helped by Franck Mancuso , Julien Rappeneau and Dominique Loiseau . Olivier is a notorious writer/director and he formerly was a police officer . As Olivier Marchal started taking acting lessons when he still was a police officer . He began his career in televisión , appearing in supporting parts or writing scripts for detective TV series . In 1989 when Yves Rénier resurrected his TV series Commissaire Moulin (1976) he became his partner as scriptwriter , series supervisor and sometimes actor . In 2000 he starred as Commandant Pierre Rivière in his own TV series "Police district" (1999) , written by novelist Hugues Pagan , himself also a former police officer . His films are usually played by same actors such as : Gerard Depardieu , Daniel Auteuil , Daniel Duval , Francis Renaud and Catherine Marchal . Olivier Marchal , a great actor/writer/director has directed sensational French thrillers , just like "36th Precinct" , ¨Gangsters¨ , ¨Diamond 13¨, ¨Mr73¨ and ¨Les Lyonnais¨ (2011) as good as this "36 Quai Des Orfèvres" (France original title) also titled "36th Precinct" (international title).

A couple of days ago I saw the trailer of "36 Quai des Orfèvres" and I decided to buy the DVD. What a powerful movie it is, probably the best police story that I have recently seen. The dramatic and amoral story is a contemporary film-noir, with action, betrayal, shootings and hooks the attention from the beginning to the end. There is a great duel between two titans: Gérard Depardieu, in the role of a scum detective, and Daniel Auteuil, playing a detective with non-conventional procedures, and they both deserved nomination to the Oscar for such brilliant performances. The music score, with the song "Don't Bring me Down", is also wonderful. The grandiosity of "36 Quai des Orfèvres" recalled me 1995 "Heat", one of the best police stories of the 90's. I really do not understand why there are negative reviews for such great film. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "36"