My New Partner

This 1984 French comedy directed by Claude Zidi follows two mismatched Paris policemen. René Boirond, played by Philippe Noiret, is a streetwise, lazy inspector who happily pockets kickbacks from the small-time crooks on his beat, letting them operate in peace. He is suddenly paired with François Lesbuche (Thierry Lhermitte), an idealistic, by-the-book rookie straight out of training. Rather than reform himself, Boirond sets out to win his new colleague over to his corrupt but comfortable way of life, and his scheme to draw the young officer into the system works far better than expected.

The original French title, Les Ripoux, is backslang for "the rotten ones." The film was a major box-office hit in France and won three César Awards in 1985, including Best Film and Best Director. Its success led to two sequels: Ripoux contre Ripoux in 1990 and Ripoux 3 in 2003.