2 cops are promised by the retiring chief of the Paris police that the one, getting the violent gang robbing armored trucks, will get his job. The 2 will do whatever it takes to get the promotion, even if it means breaking the law.
In the underbelly of the Parisian criminal world, the Police are frustrated by a gang committing a series of violent robberies. Leo Vrinks and Denis Klein are two cops seeking promotion, and the imminent departure of the Chief sets the scene for them to compete for the vacant throne. The competition between them becomes increasingly ruthless and blurs the usual lines of morality, until there seems no difference between the police and the criminals they chase. Vrinks, meeting with a source, becomes involved with a murder. Klein seizes the opportunity to up the ante and arranges for the arrest of Vrinks, but when he goes further and viciously involves Vrinks' wife, Camille, revenge is inevitable.—[email protected]
Two Prefecture of Police officers: Leo Vrinks (Daniel Auteuil), head of the BRI and Denis Klein (Gerard Depardieu), head of the BRB, both in Paris, wish to succeed their superior, the chief of the criminal police Robert Mancini (Andre Dussolier), who is being promoted.Mancini tells Vrinks that he is his first-choice successor and says that Klein wants power, and not responsibility. Even then, Klein is eligible for the promotion.
Success depends on catching a murderous and highly active gang of armored-car robbers. The gang attacks the armored cars in the middle of the highway and have access to heavy weaponry to defeat all the security systems installed on the car itself.The gang has robbed 7 armored vehicles in the last year and a half, with 9 guards dead and 2 million euros robbed.
Another source of rivalry is that Camille (Valeria Golino), Vrinks' wife, used to be Klein's lover. Other members of the precinct include Eddy (Daniel Duval) (who has recently been transferred), Titi (Francis Renaud), Groluc (Guy Lecluyse), Smao (Stéphane Metzger) and others. Eve Verhagen (Catherine Marchal) is from the detective bureau assigned to the armored car robbery case.Vrinks uses his informant network and informs Mancini that he has a lead in the case named Victor Dragan (Jo Prestia).
Vrinks is an effective detective with loyal subordinates, and some unsavory informants. Klein, who has questionable ethics, is less accomplished. Consequently, his marriage is strained, and he drinks heavily.
Vrinks helps people such as a bartender Manou Berliner (Mylene Demongeot), who was sexually assaulted and beaten by Bruno (Ivan Franek) while being robbed. Vrinks and his team kidnap Bruno, drive him to a forest, strip and bind him, give him a mock execution, push him into an open grave, warn him to leave the bartender alone and abandon him.Vrinks recovers 10,000 euros from Bruno, which he gives to Christo (Olivier Marchal), Manou's husband. Manou gives Vrinks the location of Victor, but Victor commits suicide in front of his family, rather than being arrested.
Vrinks' use of informant backfires when one of them, on weekend release, named Silien (Roschdy Zem), tricks him into being his getaway driver when he murders a gangster whose testimony convicted him. Silien calls Vrinks and says that he has to meet him urgently and asks him to come to a hotel within an hour. Vrinks picks him up outside the hotel and Silien asks him to drive him to a particular location, where Silien gets out of the car and shoots the gangster dead, thus making Vrinks as accessory to murder.Unknown to Vrinks and Silien, the gangster had a prostitute in the back seat, who escaped after Silien and Vrinks drive away.
Silien, in a quid pro Quo for Vrinks' providing an alibi and keeping silent, tells him about the armored car gang's personnel leader Francis Horn (Alain Figlarz) and their hideout. Vrink, implicated in the murder, has little choice but to agree. The victim was an informant of Klein, who suspects Silien of involvement. Klein visits Silien in prison and learns that his alibi is non other than Vrinks himself.
Vrinks assembles his team to attack the armored car gang hideout and apprehend the criminals.Vrinks' team stake out the hideout, with Klein's team as backup. On the verge of arrests, Klein ignores procedure and drunkenly approaches the gang. While most are still apprehended, an alerted gang member open fire, killing Vrinks' best friend and taking a detective hostage. Later, she escapes and one of the criminals is caught and another shot while trying to force a roadblock.
An investigation is launched into the detective's death, but one of Klein's informants coincidentally introduces him to a prostitute who witnessed the murder by Silien. Discovering Vrinks' role, Klein ensures he is prosecuted, meaning that Vrinks' evidence on the gang arrest is inadmissible and Klein exonerated of blame. He offers Camille Vrinks help, but she rejects him. While awaiting proceedings, Vrinks disarms his guards to talk to his wife, Camille, in the court corridor.
Camille is invited to a meeting by Silien, but her phone is being tapped by Klein's team, who are seeking him. Silien gets into her car and offers her money to live on. Klein, who has been tailing her, orders his team to move in to capture Silien despite being warned of the danger to Camille. They flee but Klein orders that Camille's small and insubstantial car forced off the road and she and Silien are killed in the crash. Klein uses Silien's gun to shoot Camille dead, then uses his own gun to shoot Silien's body. It now looks like Silien shot Camille, causing the crash, and Klein then shot Silien in self-defense, absolving him of responsibility for their deaths.
Seven years later, Vrinks is released. Klein, who now heads the Paris criminal police, kept his team silent about the truth of Camille's death by promotions, retirements and transfers. Vrinks reunites with his daughter, telling her they are leaving after some unfinished business. He visits Titi (Francis Renaud), an old colleague, who now works at a club, to find out about Camille's death. They have a spontaneous fight with men who seemed familiar, namely Bruno's friends, who threaten revenge. Later, Bruno ambushes Titi and discovers he was one of the policemen who humiliated him before. He demands to know the names of the others before beating him into a coma.
Vrinks gets a gun to take revenge on Klein, who is attending a police ball. Using a stolen ID, Vrinks attends and confronts Klein in the lavatory. Klein explains Camille was dead when he shot her, and Vrinks suggests he kill himself with Vrinks' gun to avoid exposure. After Vrinks leaves, Klein follows him out, shouting obscenities, threatening to shoot him and blaming him for Camille's death. Bruno, lying in wait, shoots Klein dead. It appears that Titi gave his attackers Klein's name, instead of Vrinks's.The film ends with Vrinks and his daughter Lola (Aurore Auteuil) at airport security, heading for a new life abroad.
