Polisse

About half an hour into Polisse, you may start wondering why we spend so much time with the personal lives of a group of French child protection police officers, but before too much longer you realize they need the distractions. And so do you. The interrogation scenes, primarily featuring incestuous rapists and child abusers, have no soft edges. And it appears that, over time, they have eroded some of the soft edges of the officers, as well. Directed by Maïwenn (a French actress who infamously married Luc Besson at 16), Polisse splashes off-duty scenes against the interrogations so that they almost don't fit, but after two hours, the composition really pays off. It gives the film the release we need to power through the tougher moments. The content can be jarring but Maïwenn's confidence and the work of her ensemble make the journey worthwhile.