Just as De Niro and Pacino fought it out to generate box office Heat, Gallic heavyweights Daniel Auteuil and Gérard Depardieu square up to one another for this compelling policier (the poncy term for a French cop movie).

Unlike Heat's cop/robber dynamic, these two work on the same side of the law (in theory) at 36 Quai des Orfèvres, the Parisian equivalent of Scotland Yard.

Auteuil is Leo Vrinks, leader of a close-knit search-and-engage squad. Boozy Denis Klein (Depardieu) heads up the special investigation department.

Both men treat the rulebook like toilet paper, so they should make the ideal team to bring down the armed gang who are currently turning Paris's security vans into burnt-out colanders.

If only it were that simple. Once friends, they have barely spoken since Vrinks married Klein's former love Camilla (Golina, Rain Man).

And where Vrinks is driven by dedication and the camaraderie of his team, Klein is a bitter soul with a malicious streak - one that grows ever-wider as Vrinks keeps him in the dark about vital new leads.

"It takes two to tango", grumbles Klein. "We're not dancing anymore" says Vrinks.

Then karma comes into play. Klein practically derails the operation and Vrinks is undone by a trigger-happy informant. Will simultaneously ruined careers be another piece of common ground between them?

Director Marchal sets high standards with a slick, violent and brilliantly executed first act. Malheureusement, pace and excitement diminish as the various vendettas lead to an all-too-guessable conclusion.

Klein is a bad cop in every sense – he's immoral, disliked and shows consistently poor judgement. And Vrinks becomes less smart overnight. So it's difficult to accept their progress without some suspension of disbelief.

However, since 36 is directed by one ex-cop and draws on the experiences of another (Dominique Loiseau, the film's co-writer and consultant), we have to accept that this kind of thing goes on.

Neither perfect nor likely to win many admirers amongst the French law enforcement community, 36 still delivers an impressive punch with bags of style.

Elliott Noble