Review: French policier ‘Serial Killer 1’ pounds the investigative beat

The title of the French cop picture “Serial Killer 1” refers to the code name that 1990s Paris detectives gave to the first suspect they put away using the modern criminological technique of DNA analysis. The film is similarly clinical — centered on the slow, piecemeal grind of an investigation, instead of heart-stopping chases and gunfights.

The killer in question is Guy Georges, also known as the Beast of Bastille, who was arrested, charged and convicted of a nearly two-decade string of brutal rapes and murders in 2001. Writer-director Frédéric Tellier alternates flashbacks of the authorities hunting Georges with scenes of him on trial, receiving a vigorous defense from attorneys who argue that his hard childhood is a mitigating factor.

If this were a Dirty Harry movie, those compassionate lawyers would be symptomatic of a system gone mad, uninterested in justice. But while “Serial Killer 1” criticizes a bureaucracy that makes building cases unduly arduous, the film as a whole is more matter-of-fact and open-minded than judgmental.

The French have a long history of these kinds of detail-oriented policiers: a genre they pretty much invented. And while a film like “Serial Killer 1” may disappoint anyone expecting “Bullitt” or “Lethal Weapon,” its focus on legwork and motivation could well appeal to fans of “Law & Order” — the TV show and the social construct.

-------------

‘Serial Killer 1’

In French with English subtitles

Running time: 1 hour, 59 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills