My New Partner

René, an inspector who has worked the same Paris neighbourhood for years, runs the job on his own terms: he takes a cut from petty criminals, plays the horses and never really catches anyone. François, fresh out of training and strictly by the book, is assigned to him. The young man is shocked, then learns, and finally outdoes his teacher. The film is not interested in crime. It is interested in corruption being teachable: it delivers no moral, it simply shows how the system works and laughs. The result is that the newcomer becomes the more capable crook. The form is French popular comedy: neighbourhood streets, bars, the racecourse and fast dialogue. The crime scenes exist for the comedy. Claude Zidi directed. The film drew 5.8 million admissions in France and won Best Film, Best Director and Best Editing at the César Awards in 1985, with Philippe Noiret nominated for Best Actor. A comedy taking Best Film caused argument at the time. Noiret plays René and Thierry Lhermitte plays François. Who it is for: viewers who like French popular comedy and buddy-cop stories. Who it is not for: anyone after realism. The film makes corruption entirely charming and proceeds as though nobody is harmed.