Inspector Paul Bellamy is one of the best detectives on the force and with such a reputation that he has gained a semblance of fame. While on vacation with his wife, two people unwillingly enter his life: his younger and troubled brother comes to live with him and an insurance agent suspected of killing a homeless man in an insurance scheme seeks his counsel. While dealing with the turmoil at home created by his brother's arrival Bellamy finds himself drawn more and more into this case of fraud. Inspector Bellamy is the final film from renowned French New Wave director Claude Chabrol and is the first of his films I have seen (I plan on seeking his great works out). Starring France's most famous star Gerard Depardieu in another fine performance, Inspector Bellamy is more of a character study than it is a police procedural. Chabrol is more interested in how Bellamy reacts to his disruptions at home as well as developments in the case which gives us insight into his detective skills. He is not really interested in solving the case, just in seeing how it develops. Inspector Bellamy is a small but well realized film that showcases the talents of two of France's greatest talents, one in front of the camera and one behind it.
