Pie Palace

I just saw Bon Cop, Bad Cop. The plot is a standard cop buddy movie, but it was filmed in Canada, so, of course, the cops have to be Quebecois et non-Quebecois. I’m not usually a fan of posting reviews, but this movie was good: it was funny, well written, well acted, and Canadian.

I’m not sure how to describe the movie’s “Canadian-ness”, but I think it boils down to a few things:

• It didn’t take itself too seriously. The entire thing was tongue-in-cheek. Not so much so that it distracted from the plot, or lessened my enjoyment, but the plot unfolded in such a way that it felt like fun, rather than something serious or real (as opposed to the Die Hard or Lethal Weapon series).
  
• The characters seemed to have a little more depth than was necessary. The backgrounds weren’t explored deeply, but the editor could have chosen to cut out the scenes showing us the police officer’s family without disturbing the flow of the movie. I’m glad that those scenes were left in. They made the flick more interesting, and gave more opportunities for fun.
  
• There were plenty of Canadian stereotypes and situations embedded in the movie.

I enjoyed it. It’s a fun movie. Perhaps most importantly, it’s one of the few instances of Quebec’s cultural reservoir spilling out into English and providing something the rest of the country can enjoy.¹

1. I don’t think that Quebec is as different from the rest of Canada as it likes to beleive. There is certainly some difference, but I don’t think it’s so great that the province deserves special treatment. (back)