La balance **** (1982, Nathalie Baye, Philippe Léotard, Richard Berry, Maurice Ronet) – Classic Movie Review 9206

Richard Berry stars as L’inspecteur Mathias Palouzi, an unscrupulous cop (un flic), who forces Paris criminal Dede (Phillipe Léotard) to turn informer (police informant = la balance) and shop gang boss Roger Massina (Maurice Ronet), in the exciting and scary 1982 French crime thriller La Balance from American director Bob Swaim, from Evanston, Illinois.

We are caught up in the webs of intrigue as half-way innocent people are caught up in the violence of the war between vicious cops and criminal bad guys.

There is a rotting atmosphere you can smell, thrilling set pieces (a traffic jam shootout) and it is terrifically acted, particularly by Nathalie Baye as Léotard’s hooker girlfriend, Nicole Danet.

La Balance won three 1983 César awards, including Best Film (Meilleur film), Best Actor (Meilleur acteur) for Philippe Léotard and Best Actress (Meilleure actrice) for Nathalie Baye.

Also in the cast are Christophe Malavoy, Jean-Paul Connart [Jean-Paul Comart], Albert Dray, Florent Pagny and Tchéky Karyo.

La Balance is directed by Bob Swaim, runs 102 minutes, is made by Les Films Ariane and Films Antenne 2, is released by Acteurs Auteurs Associés (1982) (France) and Gala Film Distributors (1983) (UK), (is written by Mathieu Fabiani (dialogue) and Bob Swaim (written by and dialogue), is shot in Eastmancolor by Bernard Ziztermann, is produced by Georges Dancigers and Alexandre Mnouchkine, is scored by Roland Bocquet, and is designed by Eric Moulard.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9206

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