Le Petit Lieutenant, which has been awarded the Europa Cinemas Label at Venice Days by a jury comprising exhibitors who are members of Europa Cinemas, was released in France on 16 November in 200 cinemas.
In three weeks of exhibition the film by Xavier Beauvois has been seen by 479,922 viewers and, according to the magazine Ecran Total, it could reach 650,000 viewers, a very good figure for a thriller d'auteur. Now in its fourth week, the film is still being screened at 174 cinemas, after having been shown in as many as 247 cinemas.
Among members of Europa Cinemas, 22 cinemas have scheduled it and 16 of these have billed the film for 4 weeks. By granting a Bonus, Europa Cinemas provides network exhibitors with an incentive to keep the film which has been awarded the Europa Cinemas Label on the programming schedule for as long as possible. This financial Bonus is implemented after two weeks of exhibition and a minimum number of screenings.

The film’s run abroad will begin in Belgium (Cineart) on 4 January before releases planned in Austria (Filmladen), Portugal (Lusomundo) and Switzerland (JMH).


Here are some excerpts from the very good reviews of the film:

"The filmmaker made famous by Nord in 1992 has had his biggest start with his most popular film. By delving into the daily life of the Parisian police force, he is reaching a wider audience than usual. The presence of Nathalie Baye also contributes to the success of Le Petit Lieutenant, the actress confirming her capacity to rouse viewers as can few others in France. Furthermore, Xavier Beauvois has benefited from the unfailing support of critics who have praised his film to the skies. Not to mention clever communication through eye-catching bills (…)." (Le Film Français)

"We must salute the unerring precision of Le Petit Lieutenant in describing the routine of a Parisian police station, a precision made possible by laborious observation, an obsession with detail (…)." (Les Cahiers du Cinéma)

"Xavier Beauvois has achieved an incredible balance between thriller and social commentary. He delivers to us a disenchanted work with great exactness of tone, intense and thrilling, which lingers hauntingly." (MCinema.com)

"Without indulgence or over occupation with misery, Le Petit Lieutenant invites you to plunge into a tough world in which the impoverished private lives of several characters hurtle into contemporary ills. An intense type of film, profoundly realistic…" (Le Point)