The ’80s opened with the controversial police drama Cruising about a straight cop having to go into the gay leather bar scene of New York City to find a killer. Leave it to French to find a way to create an even bigger twist on that theme in 1984. The Cheat (La Triche) also has a cop having to enter a gay scene to investigate a murder. But this time the cop isn’t straight and questioning his desires. The French police detective is bisexual and it gets in the way of his investigation.
Police Inspector Michel Verta (Victor Lanoux, National Lampoon’s European Vacation) hooks up with a stranger while visiting Paris. It’s a good hotel room with a view of the Arc de Triomphe. Verta makes it seem that he’s just into one-time things with guys. He’s not into relationships. He’s already married to a woman. He catches the train home to Bordeaux where trouble awaits. After a long night at The Paradise nightclub featuring drag performers, one of the cast members finds himself cruising at the dock. Before locating Mr. Right Now, he gets stabbed to death. The cops are called in and deduce this might not be just a robbery gone bad. The cops search the victim’s apartment and uncover a large amount of cocaine that a man with heart issues shouldn’t be holding. Instead of a random killing, they believe the dead guy had been distributing through the nightclub. Maybe he screwed over an employee? They interview the staff and the performers. Musician Bernard Mirande (Xavier Deluc, The Fashioned in Saint-Tropez) maintains a bit of attitude during his interrogation. This impresses Verta. While he is supposed to be investigating Bernard, he finds himself falling for the much younger musician. Verte tosses out all his rules when it comes to Bernard. The kid might not be the killer, but he could be part of the drug distribution out of the club. Verte throws way too much caution out the window. He wants a relationship with Bernard even before they find the killer. Is he going to be fully exposed at his work and home.
The Cheat (La Triche) is a remarkable film because we get a cop movie mixed with a gay romance. This about a double life on the fringe of being exposed. Although it’s not his wife who is going to be shocked since they have an arrangement for play. There’s also the element of a crooked cop on the force involved in the smuggling operation to screw thing up. Director Yannick Bellon keeps this movie balanced so a viewer can care about their relationship and the police work. The same way we wonder if Verta can maintain his marriage and romance. Bellon is also discreet with what gets shown between Verta and Bernard as things get serious between them. Michel Galabru who performs at the club was also in the massive French hit La Cage aux Folles (later remade in America as The Birdcage with Robin Williams). In a sense this is a dark side of La Cage aux Folles where the Paradise club is a bit more dangerous. The Cheat (La Triche) is a brilliant movie about a cop truly living on an edge.
The Video is 1.66:1 anamorphic. The transfer brings out life in France in the mid-80s. There are magnificent views of a vineyard. The Audio is DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo in French. The mix will let you hear all the sounds of birds and bugs around the grape vines. The movie is subtitled in English.
Between Identity And Emotion: Reflections On La Triche (47:01) has cast, crew and critics reflect upon working with director Yannick Bellon and her touch on the film. One points out she wasn’t there to shock the audience. She did want to show the feelings between the men on the screen. There weren’t that many French women directing films at this time. Bellon talks about how bisexuality was treated at the time. This was also her first film were men were at the center.
New Trailer (1:23) was made for this release.
Altered Innocence presents The Cheat (La Triche). Directed by Yannick Bellon. Screenplay by Yannick Bellon, Alain Marcel & Rémi Waterhouse. Starring Victor Lanoux, Anny Duperey, Valérie Mairesse, Bernard Mirande, Michel Galabru, Roland Blanche & Michèle Simonnet. Running Time: 104 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: September 8, 2026.
