The Sweeney: Paris
27/07/17 Filed in: Amazon Prime
Another French language film from my watch list on Amazon Prime, this time not a comedy but lots of action. Interestingly for a French film it has an English language title, but apparently it had been know as The Squad, and Antigang, before settling on The Sweeney, piggybacking what was already a popular name from the British 1970s TV series. Most reviewers have found it odd, and a little bit daft, that this film should have been made after the poor reception given to the 2012 British film of the same name. It seems that the Paris version is a virtual remake of this earlier film.
All this being said, the French do make a good cop film, as witnessed in the popular series Engrenages, screened in the UK under the title Spiral. And despite the poor reviews given to the Paris Sweeney, I don't think you can fault it for action, and the backdrop of Paris always adds the extra something to any film.
In case anybody doesn't know, which I doubt is the case, Sweeney comes from London rhyming slang, Sweeney Todd - Flying Squad. The British TV series portrayed this outfit as a law unto itself, cutting official corners but obtaining results. The Paris Sweeney exhibits the same characteristics, but hyped up to the extreme. The film starts with the team causing 40,000€ of damage arresting a small group of robbers. Good results but rather expensive, and the new commander, Becker, is about to make changes. To complicate matters, the team's leader, Serge Buren, is having a relationship with Becker's wife, Margaux, who's on the team. Cartier is Buren's sidekick, a small man who certainly outperforms his stature.
The main plot centres around a gang of robbers led by Kasper, who kill a woman in a jewellery shop heist for apparently no reason. But it becomes clear that the woman wasn't just a customer, but was associated with a known criminal. But Buren's team is taken off the case by Becker, and Becker himself leads another team to where they believe the next robbery is under way. But they have been fooled by the robbers, who are instead at a bank. The link between the woman killed at the earlier robbery and the bank alerts Buren to what's happening, and against orders he takes his team to the bank, without backup support. A firefight breaks out, which is very impressively filmed in Paris locations, but the incident ends in disaster, resulting in Buren's arrest, while at the same time Becker learns of his wife's infidelity. It doesn't go well for Buren.
But Cartier isn't going to let things rest, and using one of Buren's contacts he tracks down one of the robbers injured in the firefight, and collects evidence showing the robbers' intention to return to the bank for a bigger haul. Buren is brought out of custody (his team needed him!) and with Becker and substantial police backup they set a trap for the robbers.
There is great animosity between Buren and Kasper, Kasper having been released earlier in the film after Buren suspected him of the original jewellery shop heist. So, as you've no doubt surmised, there is a final showdown between the two.
This is a fast-moving film with lots of action and some impressive on-location filming. I'm absolutely sure that even in France with their more militarised police, the antics of the 'Sweeney' would not be tolerated. But it makes for good entertainment and retains your interest. Perhaps I'm more positive about it because I didn't see the earlier British version. Plus, of course, it helps my French!
But Cartier isn't going to let things rest, and using one of Buren's contacts he tracks down one of the robbers injured in the firefight, and collects evidence showing the robbers' intention to return to the bank for a bigger haul. Buren is brought out of custody (his team needed him!) and with Becker and substantial police backup they set a trap for the robbers.
There is great animosity between Buren and Kasper, Kasper having been released earlier in the film after Buren suspected him of the original jewellery shop heist. So, as you've no doubt surmised, there is a final showdown between the two.
This is a fast-moving film with lots of action and some impressive on-location filming. I'm absolutely sure that even in France with their more militarised police, the antics of the 'Sweeney' would not be tolerated. But it makes for good entertainment and retains your interest. Perhaps I'm more positive about it because I didn't see the earlier British version. Plus, of course, it helps my French!