the french connection

Paddy Dreadful

Ive never seen this movie, is it as good as the reviews suggest?

TwoShedsJackson

Yes.

Harry Palmr

Paddy Dreadful wrote: »

Ive never seen this movie, is it as good as the reviews suggest?

No. That's to say yes but no its not as good as its reputation would have you believe - it bagged 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director and in truth its not that good but it is good. if you follow!

French Connection 11 on the other hand is much better than its critical reputation and is worth watching, albeit the tone and tenure is quite different and its a harder film to watch.

shazzerman

Harry Palmr wrote: »

No. That's to say yes but no its not as good as its reputation would have you believe - it bagged 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director and in truth its not that good but it is good. if you follow!

French Connection 11 on the other hand is much better than its critical reputation and is worth watching, albeit the tone and tenure is quite different and its a harder film to watch.

I'd agree. The French Connection franchise seemed to get better as it went along. 2-5 were really good, and showed a Hackman maturing to become a more sober Popeye by French Connection 5. When 6-10 went all James Bondy many felt it was a mistake; I thought it suited the times they were made in. French Connection 11, though, is indeed a gritty masterpiece, and, yes, a hard watch.

Seriously, French Connection II is very good, and Hackman might be even better than he was in the first one.

JaseBelleVie

One of the best films ever, in my opinion. Hackman and Schneider are on fire. Brilliant film that arguably gave birth to the "rogue cop" genre, along with Dirty Harry.

A bit dated now, maybe (in fairness, it is 44 years old!), but still country miles ahead of most films released nowadays.

Give it a watch and tell me you don't want to buy a pork-pie hat and snarl "You ever pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?" at anyone who comes near you!

Smiles35

Based on a true story. (I must get the book). So a lot of it is based on the surveilance work involved in the case. You can nearly hear the questions and answers to the very much involved detectives transferd to the screen.

The car chase, while nice to look at, felt a bit tacked on to me.

shazzerman

If you are going to watch this on blu-ray just be aware that the original release was "color-corrected" by Mr Friedkin and was greeted with widespread consternation. The one to go for is the newer blu-ray with the original colour.

Paddy Dreadful

is serpico as good? is it a a similar movie, another one I havent seen

Harry Palmr

Paddy Dreadful wrote: »

is serpico as good? is it a a similar movie, another one I havent seen

Over-rated for me to be honest, the problem is that Frank Serpico himself is a right holier than thou type who, in real life you'd happily punch in the mouth! The screenplay makes him like a saint who's among the fallen. Sidney Lumet catches New York with his customary aplomb, it looks like a sh1thole!

catallus

Paddy Dreadful wrote: »

is serpico as good? is it a a similar movie, another one I havent seen

There's a bird in it and I swear to god it eats with its feet!

kumate_champ07

its part of film history as it influenced alot of stuff but its no 'Godfather', worth watching anyway

catallus

You ever picked your feet in Poughkeepsie?

.ak

Love it, one of my favourite movies. Love the slow pace and the frustration of the whole thing.

Mizu_Ger

It's one of my favourite films too. I could watch it over and over.

It shows a side of New York that I don't think exists anymore. Kind of makes it a period drama/thriller in that sense (rather than being "dated").

It does a lot of things that you don't often see in films even today
Spoilering these as the OP hasn't seen the film:

The hero shuts the bad guy in the back (after the chase)
The ending is not a clean close to the story
The car/train chase

Noblong

Noblong wrote: »

Based on a true story. (I must get the book).

The book is OK, (many many years since I actually read it mind), but just to let you know first, the movie is an extremely loose interpretation. In fact the book and the movie have little in common at all.