CRIME
French police detectives are a lot like their American counterparts. They spend too much time on the job, dislike bad guys and favor beat-up leather jackets. Le Petit Lieutenant (The Young Lieutenant), a savvy Gallic crime drama, follows a group of Parisian cops trying to nab a murderer. It spends as much time concentrating on the quirks of its main characters—an inspector (Baye) who's a recovering alcoholic and a rookie (Lespert) living apart from his wife—as it does on having them solve the case. Their friendship, and the effect on one when the other is seriously hurt on the job, makes for an absorbing and ultimately moving film. (Not rated)
