Monday 21 March 2016

BLOOD ON THE DOCKS: LONGUE DISTANCE (FRANCE 2)

Deux flics sur les docks (Blood on the Docks), the excellent French crime drama launched in 2011, is adapted from the Portsmouth based Joe Faraday novels by English crime fiction writer Graham Hurley

Le Havre police detectives Capitaine Richard Faraday (Jean-Marc Barr) and Capitaine Paul Winckler (Bruno Solo) returned last week on pubcaster France 2 for a fifth series of two feature-length episodes.

« C'est quoi ça?
- Un flingue. Avec un flic derrière. »
 
Xavier Gallat, a kitesurf instructor, drives his vehicle on the beach when he's shot in the head from a long distance. The only witness is his young son, strapped into the rear child seat. Paul Winckler interrogates Kevin Bontemps, Xavier's assistant and also a small drug dealer, while Richard Faraday talks to a neighbour of Gallat. Later, Tony Bataille, a particularly odious trafficker of almost everything, is shot in front of his home from the Tancarville Bridge. Faraday, who's an expert in long range shooting, concludes that Gallat and Bataille were both killed with an Ultima Ratio military rifle used by a sniper. 

Serge Cabanier, a person of interest, leads the police to a hostel for ex-military personnel run by Capitaine Myriam Meriles. Cabanier's lawyer normally works only for local entrepreneur and mob boss Bazza Swaty, Winckler's childhood pal. The case sparks painful memories for Richard, whose father was a soldier. A third victim, a tree surgeon, is found shot  in a park. An ex-army sniper is on the loose in Le Havre and Winckler puts his own life in danger when he sets a trap with Bazza's help.

« C'est pas très règlementaire ça, commissaire. On dirait que je commence à déteindre sur cette brigade.
- Je sais. Croyez bien que je le vis atrocement, Winckler.  »  

Directed by Edwin Baily, the absolutely superb Longue distance is adapted by Olivier Prieur from the novel Touching Distance (2013), which is actually a book from Graham Hurley's Jimmy Suttle series and not a Faraday. With Mata Gabin as Commissaire divisionnaire Lucie Dardenne, the French answer to Law & Order's Lieutenant Van Buren, Liza Manili (Lieutenant Julie Fabian), Emmanuel Salinger (Bazza Swaty), Guillaume Viry (Bill Gates), Jean-Marie Hall (Lulu Faraday) and Michel Scotto Di Carlo as Michel, a role formerly played by Daniel Carraz.

The guest cast includes Nicolas Woirion (Benoit Janin), Antoine Basler (Cassard), Ariane Séguillon (Myriam Meriles), Haris Resic (Pageski), Karine Belly (Erika Maïer), Valérie Keruzore (Lila Suard), Luc-Antoine Diquero (Kevin Bontemps), etc. Deux flics sur les docks is produced by Gétévé with France Télévisions and the support of Région Haute-Normandie. Jacques Salles and Christian Charret are the producers. Muriel Paradis exec produces. Music by Canadian composer Pierre-Philippe Côté. The songs Bloom and Henry are from his Peter Henry Phillips project. Alex Arcoleo composed Antimatter, the collection's theme music. Title sequence designed by David Fernandes.

« Je vais appeler mon avocat.
- Bon réflexe.  »  

This series was filmed from February to April 2015. Until now Deux flics sur les docks was aired in Autumn.  This Friday's episode is Visa pour l'enfer, an original story. The next series will be filmed between May and July 2016. Blood on the Docks is distributed by Zodiak Rights. Curiously, you can find it on DVD in the United States with English subs but not in France.

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