by Melissa Haggar
What do you get when you cross excessive farce, outlandish stylistic quirks and a strange incorporation of sadomasochism? Well, none other than Tip Top, Serge Bozon’s latest outing.
An infusion of a variety of genres, Tip Top combines the classic crime drama/cop thriller with off the cuff humour and adds in a little bit of spice with an overall bizarre look into the private lives of its lead investigators on the case.
What do you get when you cross excessive farce, outlandish stylistic quirks and a strange incorporation of sadomasochism? Well, none other than Tip Top, Serge Bozon’s latest outing.
An infusion of a variety of genres, Tip Top combines the classic crime drama/cop thriller with off the cuff humour and adds in a little bit of spice with an overall bizarre look into the private lives of its lead investigators on the case.
Whilst it seems perfectly straight-forward on paper, Tip Top unravels completely differently on-screen, as its initial aim to uncover what happened to an undercover informant in Villeneuve, quickly descends in to an anarchic combustion of violence and overwhelming tones. Based on the novel by Bill James, the film follows two internal affairs inspectors, the domineering Esther Lafarge (Isabelle Huppert), and the meek and timid Sally Marinelli (Sandrine Kiberlain), who has recently been demoted due to a difference in police ethics. As the officers attempt to discover if anyone was at fault or hand any hand in the murder of an informant, Farid Benamar, they are quickly targeted by police officer Mendes, who was the informants handler, and takes to spying on them whilst simultaneously hoping he can wriggle into one, or both, of their beds. It is quickly revealed that the two eccentric officers share sexual quirks, with Sally preferring a voyeuristic approach, peeping on her male neighbour in various states of undress. Meanwhile the straight-talking Esther prefers S&M, achieving her gratification most when her violinist husband (Samy Naceri) comes round and beats her bloody.
In this tumultuous affair of mismatched genres, Tip Top evokes strong feelings of confusion, as whilst the styling of the film is inventive, it proves to be a little too overwhelming for an audience, who will no doubt be left wondering as to what purpose some elements of the film have in the narrative. Indeed, it seems evident that even the actors feel a little overwhelmed, with Isabelle Huppert putting in a strong and zany performance, but seemingly struggling at some points in the film to achieve humour whilst competing with her comedic counterparts. However, despite having different styles in humour, Huppert and Kiberlain’s quirky cops make for an interesting pair, with Kiberlain’s Marinelli adopting subtle looks and expressions to achieve a few laughs whilst adorned in her chunky knit sweater and oversized spectacles.
In this tumultuous affair of mismatched genres, Tip Top evokes strong feelings of confusion, as whilst the styling of the film is inventive, it proves to be a little too overwhelming for an audience, who will no doubt be left wondering as to what purpose some elements of the film have in the narrative. Indeed, it seems evident that even the actors feel a little overwhelmed, with Isabelle Huppert putting in a strong and zany performance, but seemingly struggling at some points in the film to achieve humour whilst competing with her comedic counterparts. However, despite having different styles in humour, Huppert and Kiberlain’s quirky cops make for an interesting pair, with Kiberlain’s Marinelli adopting subtle looks and expressions to achieve a few laughs whilst adorned in her chunky knit sweater and oversized spectacles.
An ambitious attempt at satirical cop-buddy movies, Tip Top is riddled with political undertones amidst the deadpan humour that the characters embrace. The topics of race relations are rife in the picture, as we see the sufferings that the minorities face; from the Algerian informant murdered in his prime, to Mendes’ latest, Younes (Aymen Saidi) who is as equally trapped and at the mercy of his handler’s actions. From the brazen television box that broadcasts Algerian War to the book that Mendes always keeps close (entitled ‘Are We Serious In Our Practice Of Islam?’), conflict is always present in the film and sits rather oddly besides the over-exaggerated characters and goofy theatrics, not quite finding its footing firmly within a film which ultimately feels terribly contrived.
Bozon’s effort never truly reaches its climax, and whilst there are interesting themes and motifs in the film, it just doesn’t seem to be truly cohesive together, and certain elements struggle to find their definition in a film which ultimately just has too much going on to receive enough focus for any individual element.
Tip Top is screening at the East End Film Festival on the 17th of June at the Barbican Centre. Check out the full schedule here.
Bozon’s effort never truly reaches its climax, and whilst there are interesting themes and motifs in the film, it just doesn’t seem to be truly cohesive together, and certain elements struggle to find their definition in a film which ultimately just has too much going on to receive enough focus for any individual element.
Tip Top is screening at the East End Film Festival on the 17th of June at the Barbican Centre. Check out the full schedule here.
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