When a small-town police chief is murdered, a witty Parisian commissioner is dispatched to investigate. He’s not above using irregular methods to get results, including going undercover as a gangster to get closer to his suspects. The surprisingly lighthearted caper offers about as much suspense as an episode of Columbo, primarily serving as a somewhat lacking star vehicle for Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Buy Cop or Hood Blu-rayAs directed by Georges Lautner, the characters and plot are poorly defined, with scenes occurring in haphazard sequencing that fails to shed much light on story progression. We see Belmondo’s Stan Borowitz character ruining crime-boss schemes, then dealing with domestic issues with his daughter and a new girlfriend, then shadowing two dirty cops who try to frame him for murder, but little explanation is provided about how it’s all tied together. There’s even a full-on slapstick scene where Borowitz steals a driving-instruction car with the instructor still inside, grading and commenting on his reckless chase driving all the way. Lautner’s lens is so laser-focused on Belmondo that other characters may as well be eliminated. Aside from a dirty cop with a passing resemblance to ‘70s Tom Selleck, no other supporting characters made any lasting impression on me.
Belmondo drifts through much of the film, turning on the sly charm at times but mostly operating on persona cruise control for an effortless paycheck. Although it’s a lightweight performance, the film doesn’t really require any heavy lifting as it’s more a breezy yarn than a hard-hitting crime drama. Considering his many inspired performances in much better films, this has the feel of a contractual obligation more than an artistic statement, but at least he seems to be having fun. Watch for incongruous glimpses of a surprisingly shredded, shirtless Belmondo, as well as his ziplining jaunt in bell-bottom jeans and sneakers, grasping for relevance as he marches into middle age.
The Blu-ray includes a commentary track by a trio of film historians, along with the theatrical trailer. The film is presented in 1.66:1 aspect ratio and DTS mono sound and is sourced from a 2K restoration. Colors show decent dynamic range, but considering the typical ‘70s dull beige tones of the original film, restoration miracles only go so far. The mono sound is clear, and is aided by Philippe Sarde’s jazzy score featuring Chet Baker on trumpet.
If you’re a fan of Belmondo, you’ll likely enjoy him hamming it up through this nonsensical investigation, with his Borowitz character playing both sides of the fence to get results. Other than the cheerful star, the film is lacking in story, action, and character development, seemingly cobbled together just to churn out Belmondo product to his adoring fanbase.
