Caboose

 ((CANADIAN-FRENCH))

By BRENDAN KELLY

An Alliance release (in Canada) of a Films Stock Intl./JLA Audiovisuel production, with the participation of Telefilm Canada and Sodec. Produced by Richard Sadler, Jacques Le Glou. Directed by Richard Roy. Screenplay, Roy, Odile Poliquin, Michel Michaud.
 
Marceau ... Gildor Roy
Camille ... Celine Bonnier
Larrivee ... Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu
Boule de Pool ... James Hyndman
 

After years of ignoring the genre, Quebec's film biz has just delivered its third cop thriller in the past seven months, and "Caboose" is a much darker

policier than either "Black List" or "Mistaken Identity." The second feature from Montreal helmer Richard Roy, "Caboose" puts the noir back in film noir with an intriguing, no-holds-barred portrait of a veteran cop-gone-bad. The disturbing violence and grim themes will scare off some viewers, but the French-lingo pic should pique interest with auds in the mood for a tough, serious psychodrama. It could elicit interest internationally in specialized settings, though the controversial mix of sex and violence may be a stumbling block.

Shot almost entirely in nighttime settings, yarn kicks off late one evening in a deserted lot filled with abandoned train cars, where the detective Marceau (Gildor Roy) spots a couple of drug dealers and one of his police colleagues at a strange, coked-out party in a smashed-up caboose. Marceau establishes his unhinged credentials right off the bat by promptly shooting all three of them without blinking an eye.

His superiors at the police department aren't overly impressed with his trigger-happy behavior, but he quits the force before they have time to fire him. Story jumps ahead six months and introduces Camille (Celine Bonnier), a young recruit having trouble at the police academy because she can't bring herself to use her gun, even in training sessions.

In a somewhat far-fetched twist, Marceau drops by the academy, sees her reluctance with a pistol and decides he'll help her come to grips with the more violent side of police duties. But he isn't interested only in helping her out. He also wants her to act as his bodyguard to protect him from a mystery man who has been threatening his life.

The prime suspect is Boule de Pool (James Hyndman), a tall, scary-looking psychopath who spends much of his free time sexually assaulting underage kids. As Camille is drawn into Marceau's seedy, nocturnal world, she begins to develop severely conflicted feelings about her employer. There is an erotic attraction, which explodes in a rough sex scene in the same caboose, but Camille is also increasingly troubled by Marceau's wired personality.

Roy is convincing as the tough-guy cop who is so on edge he sleeps with his eyes open, but it's Bonnier who steals the show here. The Quebec legit thesp, who has appeared in only a couple of features, delivers a remarkably assured performance, giving her portrayal just the right mix of sexy sparks and emotional depth. Hyndman is enjoyably over-the-top and suitably repellent.

The script, penned by Roy, Odile Poliquin, and Michel Michaud, unravels in the final third, but Roy maintains a taut rhythm and spooky atmosphere throughout. The director keeps it interesting, continually jolting the viewer with charged snapshots of the inner-city subculture of heroin-addled punks, gaudy hookers and sadistic street thugs. The noirish mood is enhanced by Daniel Vincelette's artful lensing and Charles Papasoff's eclectic score.

Camera (color), Daniel Vincelette; editor, Jean-Guy Montpetit; music, Charles Papasoff; art direction, Violette Daneau; costume design, Francois Barbeau; sound, Richard Nichols; line producer, Pierre Laberge. Reviewed at Imperial Cinema, Montreal, March 6, 1996. Running time: 92 MIN.
 

With: Pierre Rivard, Guy Nadon, Catherine Senart, Brigitte Poupart, Marie-France Marcotte, Robin Aubert, Emmanuel Charest, Richard Lemire, Abeille Gelinas, Charles Boisseau.