36 Quai des Orfèvres Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

36 Quai des Orfèvres Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 2, 2009

Top Gallic actors Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu collide in Olivier Marchal's gritty police thriller "36 Quai des Orfèvres" (2004). Yet to be released in the United States, the film has received a pleasing Blu-ray treatment courtesy of French distributors Gaumont. English-friendly and Region-Free.

Being a good cop isn't easy in 36 Quai des orfèvres

A group of highly skilled robbers has been terrorizing the city of Paris for months. Growing increasingly frustrated with the situation, senior police officer Robert Mancini (Andre Dussollier, Tell No One), who is ready to retire, announces that whoever nabs the robbers will inherit his job.

Top cops Leo Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil, Queen Margot) and Denis Klein (Gerard Depardieu, The Count of Monte Cristo) are the primary candidates. Leo has been friends with Denis for years, but lately the two men have become increasingly frustrated with each other.

Leo is a family man madly in love with his wife, Camille (Valeria Golino, Respiro), and daughter, Lola (Solene Biasch). He takes his job very seriously, but does not always follow the official rules and regulations. One of his best friends is a retired prostitute.

Denis is an ambitious cop with a drinking problem. His personal life is a disaster waiting to happen but he doesn’t care; all he wants is Mancini’s job and status.

Hugo Silien (Roschdy Zem, The Young Lieutenant), a criminal with a long record, has been let out of prison for a few days. He phones Leo and offers him a deal – if Leo attends an important meeting with him, he would tell him where the robbers everyone is looking for are hiding. Leo agrees and meets Hugo. The two drive to an upscale Parisian suburb where Hugo kills two men. Leo is enraged that Hugo has used him, but gets his lead and walks away. A few days later, his men attack the robbers. Klein, who has been unable to come to terms with the fact that Leo has managed to solve the case, gets drunk and causes the death of Leo’s best friend. Internal affairs launch an investigation and quickly determine that Klein is innocent. Disgusted, Leo tells Mancini that he does not want his job and walks away. Shortly after, someone tips Klein about Leo’s meeting with Hugo.

36 quai des orfèvres is an uncharacteristically brutal police thriller by Olivier Marchal (MR 73), an ex-cop turned-actor-turned-director. It is loosely based on true events that transpired in the city of Paris during the early 80s. Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu, two iconic French actors, play the main protagonists – two jaded cops on the road to self-destruction.

Both suffer a lot. However, Auteuil’s character is the one who gets our sympathy because he loses far more than Depardieu does. Throughout the course of the film, he also gets more time in front of the camera, which helps us better understand his decisions.

Depardieu’s character is easy to dislike – he is corrupt, manipulative and obsessed with power. Furthermore, his personal life is an ill-fated replica of his professional one; he appears to be in control, but in reality, he is an abandoned man with some serious emotional issues.

The two collide in a manner that will probably force many of you to compare 36 quai des orfèvres to Michael Mann’s Heat (1995). Auteuil and Depardieu deliver spectacular performances that are truly impossible to separate - their characters are so dependent on each other that, frankly, I do not believe 36 quai des orfèvres would have been even partially as good as it is had one of them passed on it.

Cinematographer Denis Rouden’s (Anthony Zimmer) contribution is invaluable. He transforms Paris into a gloomy, incredibly depressing place where crime and murder are part of everyday life. The action scenes in particular are stylishly photographed yet notably cold and gritty. As expected, Hollywood is already working on a remake appropriately titled 36.

36 Quai des Orfèvres Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Olivier Marchal's 36 Quai des orfèvres arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont.

Even though 36 Quai des orfèvres does not quite match the spectacular transfer Gaumont provided for Olivier Marchal's MR 73, it still looks quite good. Generally speaking, contrast is pleasing, detail strong and clarity satisfactory. This being said, large portions of this film were shot at night and, occasionally, the picture gets notably gritty, overflowing with very cold blacks, grays and dark browns. I noticed a bit of edge-enhancement popping up here and there, but nothing overly disturbing that would seriously affect your viewing experience; macroblocking isn't an issue of concern either. Also, post-production sharpening has not been applied to the transfer. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing debris, specks, or scratches to report here. (Note: Even though this Blu-ray release is marketed as Region-B, it is in fact Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

36 Quai des Orfèvres Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The French distributors have also provided optional English and French HOH subtitles for the main feature.

The French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is terrific! The bass is full-bodied and punchy, the high frequencies not overdone and the rear channels quite active. There is a very impressive shooting scene in the very beginning of the film that reminded me of Heat, and the highway robbery from its opening minutes - the sound is so clear, you would literally feel as if the gunmen are shooting in your room. This being said, the dialog is crisp and exceptionally easy to follow. There are absolutely no balance issues to report either. I also did not hear any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings. Indeed, the French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very much up to the high standards we have come to expect from Gaumont. (Note: The subtitles appear outside of the image frame).

36 Quai des Orfèvres Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

36, Qui veut la peau d'Olivier Marchal? (73 min) – This is a very long featurette that takes us back to the pre-production days of the film, the script discussions, the initial reactions of the cast after the film was released, etc. Logically, there is plenty of raw footage that you will see here. Most unfortunately, however, the featurette isn't subtitled in English (in standard-def PAL).

Essais costumes (13 min) – a short piece highlighting a few interesting discussions Olivier Marchal had with the tech crew in regard to the costumes that he wanted his actors to use. Gerard Depardieu appears briefly and offers a few comments as well. Not English-friendly (in standard-def PAL).

Les choix des armes (13 min) – another short piece focusing on the different types of weapons used in the film. There are some pretty serious guns here really look quite impressive. Not English-friendly (in standard-def PAL).

Original theatrical trailer (in standard-def PAL) -

Commentary by Olivier Marchal – Most unfortunately, this terrific commentary isn't subtitled in English either.

36 Quai des Orfèvres Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I strongly encourage those of you who liked Olivier Marchal's MR 73 to take a look at his 36 Quai des Orfèvres - a slightly more mainstream but equally gritty and atmospheric film. Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu are simply superb! The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of French distributors Gaumont, is of very good quality. It is also English-friendly and Region-Free. Highly Recommended!