The French Connection (1971)

Gene Hackman is the man. My favorite screen actor. Among his iconic roles – “The Conversation,” “Unforgiven” and even tongue-in-cheek “Superman: The Movie” – is Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, the real-life narcotics officer in “The French Connection.” Directed by William Friedkin, this New York-set crime drama spools out with an almost documentary – boring, pointless stakeouts and shakedowns, endless foot patrols, gut hunches and paperwork, then an explosive hit – approach that make up the life’s work of many police officers. Here, Doyle and his partner (Roy Scheider) luck, or is stumble, onto a massive heroin deal involving a film actor, Frenchmen and a few NYC locals. I need not explain the rest, you’ve seen this right? A sniper attack that quickly morphs to Hackman tearing madly through New York streets, chasing an “L” train, with tires screeching and a final gun blast is classic filmmaking. That Doyle is a borderline racist, certainly stubborn and quite … erratic … in his police investigation methods, and that Hackman makes him a flawed, fascinating hero in the end is a testament to the man’s acting prowess. He cuts through this film like a damn raging bull, no De Niro reference meant. One of my favorites. A+