Made with deep personal motives, [Tavernier’s movie] examines the dilemma of unenforceable drug laws in a time of unacceptable and rising drug abuse. [It] offers not easy answers but a penetrating examination of the human issues involved. The “drug movie” has become a Hollywood genre, all about guns and chases and ironic dialog, all completely missing the point. L.627 looks at drugs with accuracy, sadness and anger. — Roger Ebert