Bon Cop, Bad Cop

jfilip: 9th Aug 2006 - 12:48 GMT

I saw a trailer for that movie recently. I don't think it's a Quebec film, or at least it's a partnership between Ontario and Quebec. But, yeah, it looks like it's trying really hard to be a big, blockbuster film (in the vein of Lethal Weapon): two cops who don't get along, one the straight-laced Ottawa cop, the other is a rough and rowdy Quebecer (just like his CAR!). The trailer made it look so bad I have to see it. Essentially every joke in the film was: "Hey, wait! He speaks English and he speaks French and they don't get along! HAHAHA..."

It looks so terrible... but I want to see it for that same reason.

EvilGentleman: 9th Aug 2006 - 17:19 GMT

Sounds like the typical Canadian and/or Quebec films of the 80's come back to life. "Profits? What are profits? We were thinking grants and tax deductions, eh?"

Canadian films are generally indy films that absorb government grants, in the vain attempt to develop a Canadian culture that is distinct from the American culture. In Canada, the Canadian content criteria seems quite often to replace other less vital criteria such as plot, acting ability and production quality. In the end, the usual thing that makes Canadian movies distinct from American ones is how bad they are. The thing that often makes Canadian movie viewers distinct from American ones is that Canadians will watch bad movies all the way to the end, at first hoping it will get better, and in the end realizing the movie is a dud, but since they have already seen 90% of it, they might as well watch the rest.

There are two general exceptions to this loose rule. If the movie is based on reality, like Savage Messiah, the story of cult leader and murderer Roch Theriault, then it becomes more like a documentary, and Canada is one of the world's best documentary makers.The other exception is usually Quebec. Perhaps because their local talent is less able to find work in Hollywood due to language issues, Quebec manages to retain a number of talented people for their local entertainment industry. However, this is no guarantee of quality, either.

I know someone will probably come on here eventually and comment on how both English Canada and Quebec have produced some real gems over the years, but my point is, these gems are still the exception, rather than the rule, at least as far as English Canada is concerned. I am afraid it will always be this way until Canadian talent stops moving to Hollywood, and I seriously doubt that will be happening anytime soon.

EvilGentleman: 14th Aug 2006 - 16:07 GMT

Hmmm, citynoise.org is website #9 on Google Canada's hit list for "Bon Cop, Bad Cop". Not too shabby, considering citynoise is not a cinema website.

Maxime: 14th Aug 2006 - 20:40 GMT

It made 1.4 million at the box office in the first weekend 4 millions in the first week...... in Quebec only.

Guess you guys were wrong.

Maxime

EvilGentleman: 14th Aug 2006 - 22:33 GMT

I never said this movie was bad, I just responded to someone else's opinion. One of these days, I will go see it, or I will rent it when the video comes out, and then I will give my unbiased opinion. Also, commercial success is often, but not always, tied together with quality. Some successful movies have definitely deserved every dollar spent on them, and others have done well despite being terrible. Sometimes, the advertisements or the presence of certain actors can lure the public in for the first few weeks, but after a while, the sales drop off.

Also, some movies that have done poorly at the box office were actually masterpieces, while yet others were shit pieces. If one is not sure whether or not a movie is good, either ask someone who has seen it, or go see it yourself.

Maxime, did you notice that I mentioned Quebec generally has a better film industry than English Canada? By the way, what did you think of the movie? I am interested to hear what it was actually like for you. Maybe you can talk me into going to see it.

Sébas: 15th Aug 2006 - 01:19 GMT

Mr Evil! Thank you! This is what I call a good comment! You bring the facts to the table and give your opinion without bashing the product!

Annick: 19th Aug 2006 - 05:49 GMT

I think the hype is greater than the movie. It was a tad better than "okay"; distracting, entertaining, yet the story line is somewhat lame and at times ridiculous. What saves the movie is that no one seems to take it too seriously. The actors were having a good time making it; audience members will have a good time watching it--if they don't take it too seriously either. This is not Academy Award material, but it's a good summer flick on "flics." Patrick Huard is at ease in his role, but Froem is not exactly convincing and appears to be "acting" his part for most of the movie.

formol: 22nd Aug 2006 - 13:10 GMT

CANADA IS NOT MY COUNTRY

Frenchmen came from France
To exterminate indians
Satisfy their appetite for genocide
They proliferated like vermin
So today we are millions
Dreaming of destruction
Waiting for secession
Preparing the final assault
To avenge the plains of Abraham insult
Dreaming of pogroms and referendums
Reading Mein Kampf and Lionel Groulx’ anthology
Not giving a shit about the right of minorities
To ignore our half-dead tongue, you know we’re wrong
Why don’t you open your eyes
And you will see that Canada is not our country

How do you want me to identify
With a country where human rights are king
An open minded land where multi-culturism is the thing
Don’t you see my heart is full of hatred
Retrograde ideas, racist beliefs
There is no place there for a maple leaf
Between two mouthfulls of pea soup
I count my munitions, I polish my .22
I wanna crush this miserable beaver under my thumb
Strangle ministers, wear brown shirts, plant bombs
I like the sound of the boots in the military march
And the Parti Québécois membership cards
Why don’t you set me free, why don’t you see
That Canada is not my country

Canada, Canada
Canada is not my country

Texte de SERGE ROBERT (Mononc’ Serge)
©? SERGE ROBERT

EvilGentleman: 22nd Aug 2006 - 14:22 GMT

formol, in regards to your post dated 22nd Aug 2006 - 13:10 GMT:

Perhaps this particular piece of poetry would be best suited for whenever I get around to scanning and posting my photos of the 1995 Unity Rally in Montreal. I'm not sure this has much of anything to do with my photos of the media covering the launch of an action-comedy movie.

Sébastien: 22nd Aug 2006 - 20:17 GMT

First of all, these are real Montreal police car but with fake logos. The car mark 97-6 is a spare car stationed at 5000 Iberville Street. Concerning 51-111, it's a K-9 unit posted at Detention center East in Anjou.

adrian: 8th Sep 2006 - 14:01 GMT

Is this movie going to be released in the US? I live over in the states now, due to my job relocating me. I was just wondering if there were plans on having a small US theatrical release, like they do with many indie movies. If not I guess I will have to wait for the DVD.

Stevo: 8th Sep 2006 - 16:07 GMT

Evil your comments about Canadian film are stuck in the eighties...and you got
it backwards. American Cinema sucks!
We make intelligent films aimed at adults, and we do it way cheaper than they do. How do we do it? American movies are made for a demographic with a mental age of between 7 and 24 years old. If you like Sylverster Stallone and
Demi Moore movies you fit this demograhic.
I will admit that quebec side has some outstanding directors. Denys Arcand and Atom Egoyan live in quebec...does that make them Quebecois or Canadians? If you ask them they would say they are Canadian. Doesn't Cronenberg live in Montreal?
I thought that good cop bad cop show was a teevee show, not a movie. and yes, it probably sucks.

funt: 8th Sep 2006 - 16:23 GMT

Sly Stallone and Demi Moore? Stevo, sounds like your perceptions of American movies are stuck in the 90s.

Though, you do have a good point.

ejhickey: 15th Oct 2006 - 15:20 GMT

I am from Chicago and was visiting Montreal when this movie was released. I saw the posters and the ads and was truned off by the promotions. I thought it was an American cop movie and a piece of trash that i could and should ignore. Now I wish I had seen it because it will not be shown in the States and it appears to have some references to Canadian culture and politics of which Americans are unaware. Gues I will have to wait for the DVD or go back to Montreal.

EvilGentleman: 11th Mar 2007 - 04:12 GMT

I finally saw the movie in January on DVD. It was pretty good overall, but a bit low-budget in some respects. The bilingual soundtrack made it one of the few movies that can be truly enjoyed by **all* Canadians, so I thought that was pretty cool. They did a pretty good job of highlighting cultural bias in both domainant Canadian societies. On a scale of one to ten, I would give it a 7, and I think my son wants to give it an 8 or a 9.

nosmo: 16th Oct 2009 - 10:26 GMT

I got a chance to see this movie when visiting Montreal and I really got a kick out of it. The various cultural references would have been completely lost on me had I not been watching it with a native - which instead really added to it, it was a breakneck introduction to lots of little nuances that wouldn't come up in daily conversation.