Before being an action movie, this is a comedy. The cynical kind. Maybe not for everyone. And like any comedy, it HAS to be seen in original version. So, if you don't understand french, just don't watch it. Action and comedy are definitely not genres that french are good at, but this one is really good. A rare piece then. Titoff and Jean Yann are especially good in their character. Another reviewer said Titoff was "the best cop" in Marseille. Really he didn't understand anything of the movie. Titoff is on the contrary a total loser cop and really nailed it. Other actors are not doing as good a job, but still correct. Good humour, good action, good picture, smart ending.

Maxime Tavares (comedian Titoff) is one of Marseille's best cops, but he's also dirty. When he's assigned a new partner, Parisian tough guy even more dirty supercop Carlos Gomez (rapper Stomy Bugsy), there's not exactly love in the air. Yet they'll have to learn to work with and appreciate each other when they stumble onto a huge case that has the potential of getting them a lot of money.No doubt greenlighted following the success of that other Marseille-based action/comedy, the successful Luc Besson produced Taxi franchise, Gomez & Tavarès is yet another variation of the buddy cop genre, in the tradition of Lethal Weapon, Red Heat, Rush Hour, etc... The big originality here is how crooked the heroes are. Their interest in solving the case is not due to their sense of duty but to save their own skins (since they're're being investigated by internal affairs) and to reap as much cash as possible.The movie gives a rather bad impression at first, with its "Shaft-like" soundtrack and seemingly very low budget, but it gets better as the film progresses. It still feels rather low budget (which it probably is) and there aren't any really cool/impressive action scenes. The tone of the movie is more serious-minded than comic, even if there is comedy layered throughout.All in all, Gomez & Tavarès doesn't offer much originality in terms of plot and doesn't offer much in terms of thrills either. It isn't really bad either and offers casual entertainment. Some will appreciate the eye candy provided by model Noémie Lenoir (After The Sunset, Rush Hour 3) and the amusing dirty cops idea while others will shake their heads at the various plot holes and the weakness of the script in general. As for me, I'd recommend it mainly to fans of the genre, but warn them that it's definitely not one of the best entries. I wouldn't mind watching the 2007 sequel, Gomez Vs Tavarès, but I'm not in a hurry to either.

There are some sparks in this action movie, with a story about corrupt cops and gangs inter-fighting set in Marseille. Certainly, it is not easy to do an action film with much of the time filled in with car chases, and other type of stunts, when you do not have the means or the experience of the American film-makers in this field. That's why the good parts of the film need to be looked for some place else - in the characters of the cops - maybe bad guys on the right side of the law, maybe corrupt (there seem to be no straight cop in this movie) but still likable and credible, maybe in the cynical approach of the script that seems to say that there are no really good fellas on any side, but that even the bad ones are not that bad if you care to hear them.The dialog between the cops and gangsters films made by American and French directors is not something new, it started in the 40s with the Bogart and E.G. Robinson films, was then taken over by the French in the 60s in films starring Alain Delon and Belmondo, and continues until nowadays, when borders are easily crossed and international casts are the norm. Here we have a touch of French humor, some bright dialogs that improve the quality of the film, and make it worth seeing after all.

I saw this movie at the German Fantasy Film Festival last year. The story starts with a typical buddy-movie setup: Tavares is a cop in Marseille. He is smart, somewhat good looking . and he is corrupt. Nevertheless nobody in the police department seems to care about his little misconducts. One day Tavares gets a new partner. Gomez is coming directly from Paris. He is one hundred per cent law-abiding and hates corruption. From the very first moment Tavares and Gomez are at each other's throats. But they have to work together. Investigating the murder of an accountant who was working for a drug cartel they have to protect his daughter who might be the key to bring down the syndicate. Eventually the mafia wants to eliminate the girl and the two cops. Let the havoc begin...On the one hand `Payoff' reminded me of the light-hearted French action comedies of the Seventies I used to watch on TV when I was a kid (Belmondo's `L'Animal' comes to mind). On the other hand the movie clearly imitates modern American cop movies like `Bad Boys' or the `Lethal Weapon' series - especially when it comes to the visual style. Actually Marseille (the setting of the film) is presented as if it was Florida or California. The story might have its weak points and it also exploits a number of clichés, but there are lots of great action scenes and funny dialogues to keep you entertained.