Fresh, original and heartbreaking, this 2005 police crime drama works on multiple levels and is reminiscent of the PBS Masterpiece Theatre television series Prime Suspect. That long-standing series has Helen Mirren in top form as an outsider detective chief inspector in pursuit of various killers and villains.

In the man’s game of big city police investigative work, a woman once again leads a no nonsense crime squad. The young lieutenant of the title is paired with seasoned pro Caroline Vaudieu (Nathalie Baye). And Baye is the seasoned pro actor in director and co-writer Xavier Beauvios’ tale that begins by following rookie cop Antoine Derouere’s (Jalil Lespert) graduation from the police academy. He chooses the excitement of assignment to Paris, much to the disappointment of his young bride who is left to tend the home fires in their provincial hometown.

Antoine is detailed to the crime investigation team led by recovered alcoholic Vaudieu, on the wagon for two years after a long personal slump following the death of her young son. She has just returned to the force and is struggling to regain respect. Away from his wife, Antoine spends his free time flexing his muscles as a green cop. A startling authenticity sparks the dialog as we observe such scenes as the lunchroom and its talk splashed with gallows humor. The smart screenplay allows a glimpse into these personal lives with a healthy measure of low key realism, melodrama omitted. In short, these are real characters, made more interesting by leaving some of the boring bits in instead of taking them all out, which too often defines American crime films.

The murdered body of a homeless man fished out of the river is the case that provides an opening for Antoine and his boss Vaudieu to form an unexpected bond. With Baye at its center, the film strikes just the right balance of crime thriller and deeply personal tale of irretrievable loss for a woman. What happened to Caroline Vaudieu could happen to anyone. Following in the footsteps of her father’s police career as much out of loyalty to the family as to a sense of vocation, her career hits the skids after her personal tragedy. With an economy of words and images, director Xavier strikes an easy equilibrium between her story and the persuasive crime narrative.

With a tight screenplay, discreet camera work and a subdued production design, Beauvois lets the tale tell itself. These are people you might know. Although gender is not the main issue, the suggestion lingers that this is a woman’s story, with the complexities of strength and tenderness that comes with the territory; specifically a woman whose past is probably larger than her future. The haunting emptiness of justice under the law is reflected on Baye’s face in the final long take of her lonely walk on a deserted beach.

The ensemble cast includes Jacques Perrin as Vaudieu’s former husband, Roschdy Zem and Antoine Chappey as fellow cops, and Lespert’s cutting edge eagerness mixed with good natured naiveté lend a remarkable realism to a good story.