Le Juge (1984)
Directed by Philippe Lefebvre

Film Review

Le Juge is a typical 1980s French thriller which bears some striking similarities with Yves Boisset's 1977 film Le Juge Fayard dit le shérif.  However, the latter is the superior film, for several reasons, not least of which is its more convincing plot. Despite some credible performances (Jacques Perrin and Richard Bohringer are both on fine form) Le Juge is visibly lacking in tension and pace.  The middle section of the film is heavily bogged down by the tedious minutiae of the police investigation, introducing a plethora of minor characters that weaken the focus. Perrin fails to come across as a sympathetic character, appearing as a dispassionate thug in many scenes, and this somewhat undermines the premise of the film.

This is not to say that the film is entirely lacking in merit. Philippe Lefebvre's direction manages to keep the fairly formulaic narrative on track, and the action scenes are well choreographed. Where the film fails is in giving depth to the main characters to a sufficient extent that our interest in them is what holds our attention, rather than a succession of unconvincing plot developments. Not long after this, Lefebvre migrated to television, to which he would devote the bulk of his remaining career. He returned to cinema in 2012 with a more realistic crime drama, Une nuit.

Film Synopsis

François Muller is a respected judge in Marseille who is committed to clamping down on the illegal drugs trade in his region.  In his sights he has Antoine Rocca, a man whom he believes to be the head of one of France's largest criminal organisations.  After Rocca has been taken into police custody for illegal possession of firearms, Muller cancels his leave and, assisted by his loyal friend Superintendent Innocenti, he devotes himself to accumulating the evidence he needs to build a watertight case against the suspected drugs baron.  The evidence against Rocca appears to be overwhelming but Muller hasn't yet realised just how dangerous and resourceful a man he is.  When he discovers this it is already too late...