Review of Backfire

MILD SPOILER AHEAD: Released within a few weeks of "Goldfinger" in late summer of 1964, "Backfire" will have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief. Yes, that is Gert Frobe as the enforcer in a gold smuggling ring -- presaging his villainous character in the James Bond title. Yet even more strange are Belmondo and Seberg transposing their roles from Godard's "Breathless", bringing a good deal of the same chemistry along for the ride. But wait -- there's more. That fiery jazz soaring through much of the film sounds suspiciously like Martial Solal -- who also scored "Breathless." It would be a stretch to call "Backfire" an homage piece or connected to its predecessor in any meaningful way; the two films are leagues apart. However, there are at least two bedroom scenes that will make any "Breathless" fan sit up and say, "Hey, wait a minute! Didn't we hear this same repartee in Godard's famous Chambre 12, Hotel-de-Suede?". While "Backfire" is immensely entertaining, it refuses to take itself seriously. Yes, it's French cinema from the golden age. Yes, it's in glorious black-and-white. Yes, it really is Belmondo and Seberg together again and in their prime. But alas, it's not high art -- or even New Wave. And despite Seberg's apparent treachery throughout, this one ends happily -- in the way a 1960's plot-line often breezily resolved itself. A rarity but worth hunting down.