My New Partner 1984

René Boirond, Philippe Noiret, has spent twenty years policing a tough quarter of Paris. He is passionate about betting on horses and dreams of one day owning a horse of his own. He lives with Simone, Régine, a retired prostitute, and he knows every petty crook on his patch, letting them earn a living in exchange for favors and information.

When François Lesbuche, Thierry Lhermitte, an idealistic young cop from the provinces, is assigned to work alongside him, the veteran tries to teach the new man the unvarnished facts of big-city life. He also introduces him to Natacha, Grace de Capitani, an expensive young prostitute, hoping to show him how the city really operates.

Slowly, François’s high-minded ideals are worn down, especially after he is beaten up by Natacha’s pimp. The two cops learn that a huge consignment of heroin is about to be exchanged for cash, and they decide to lift the money themselves. The crooks give chase, and François manages to slip away with the loot, but René is caught by the pursuing police. Because his official record is spotless, he receives only two years in jail.

Simone and Natacha greet him on his release, and as dawn breaks over the city, François arrives with the racehorse he has bought for René. The film closes on a note of hard-won resilience, where loyalty, restraint, and the peculiar moral codes of a Parisian underworld intersect with the fragile hope of a fresh start.