Le Petit Lieutenant
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Xavier Beauvois |
| Products | Crime drama film |
Le Petit Lieutenant, also known internationally as The Young Lieutenant, is a 2005 French crime drama film helmed by director Xavier Beauvois. Renowned for its realistic, documentary-like approach, the film portrays the tragic procedural failure leading to the death of a young police lieutenant and the relentless effort by his squad leader to apprehend the perpetrator.
Plot
Antoine, a freshly commissioned police lieutenant, transfers to a detective unit operating in a bustling district of Paris, leaving behind his wife in Le Havre. The squad is commanded by Caroline, who is recovering from recent personal loss and struggles with alcoholism; she takes on a mentoring role for Antoine.
The detectives investigate two violent assaults targeting a Polish man and an Englishman, both victims of an assailant of Russian origin. After identifying the likely whereabouts of the suspect, Antoine and another officer pursue the lead; however, Antoine is fatally stabbed when left isolated.
Grieving Antoine’s death and frustrated by the squad’s shortcomings, Caroline intensifies her determination to bring the murderer to justice. Utilizing surveillance techniques and phone tapping, the team traces the suspect to Nice. Caroline supervises the arrest operation, ultimately shooting the suspect dead during an attempted escape.
Cast
- Jalil Lespert as Antoine Derouère
- Nathalie Baye as Caroline Vaudieu
- Antoine Chappey as Louis Mallet
- Xavier Beauvois as Nicolas Morbe
- Jacques Perrin as Clermont
- Roschdy Zem as Solo
- Riton Liebman as Jean
Critical response
The Young Lieutenant was met with largely favorable critiques. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 79% approval rating from 53 reviewers, with an average score of 6.9/10, described as "a gritty, slowly paced crime drama that combines classic atmosphere with contemporary skepticism." Metacritic assigned it a score of 71 based on 19 critiques, reflecting "generally favorable reviews."
Awards and nominations
- César Awards (France)
- Won: Best Actress – Leading Role (Nathalie Baye)
- Nominated: Best Actor – Supporting Role (Roschdy Zem)
- Nominated: Best Director
- Nominated: Best Film
- Nominated: Best Original Screenplay (Xavier Beauvois, Guillaume Bréaud, Jean-Eric Troubat)
- European Film Awards
- Nominated: Best Actress – Leading Role (Nathalie Baye)
- Venice Film Festival (Italy)
- Won: Label Europa Cinemas (Xavier Beauvois)
External links
- Le petit lieutenant at the 2nd edition of Venice Days (62nd Venice International Film Festival)