Writer/director Maïwenn Le Besco goes further than CSI would ever dare tread, into the seedy world of juvenile protection police in the engaging albeit dramatically scattered action/drama Polisse.

The film is to sex offenders units what In the loop is to politics: a terse and tense set of prickly situations, sped up and racy, with lots of shouting characters and deeply unprofessional conduct.

The film follows the daily grind of Paris’s Juvenile Protection Unit as the crew chase leads, grill suspects and interrogate victims. A surprise left of centre ending demonstrates, somewhat despairingly, just how little we know about their inner selves.

Engagingly directed and loaded with high voltage performances, Le Brosco doesn’t over do it in shock value but, as the final reels unwind, comes close.

Polisse’s Australian theatrical release date: June 28, 2012.