After recently watching the gripping French Film Noir Classe Tous Risques (1960-also reviewed),I was thrilled to track down a French Film Noir which sounded like a delightful genre mashup!,which led to me getting ready to meet the lovers and the thieves.
View on the film:
Diving into an off the wall flashback,the-then 71 year old writer/director Sacha Guitry displays an explosive energy that directors half his age fail to match.Keeping Artois & Cagneux seated,the screenplay by Guitry offers up an exquisite genre blend,via Artois's "one crime" pulling in grubby Film Noir double crossing,jet-set Euro fantasy,and bouncing slap-stick Comedy in an insane asylum.
Joining Artois,Guitry uses Cagneux to give the Noir a savvy heist chic,which also delivers a scorpion sting of a twist ending.Whilst looking like he is jumping into any genre that takes his fancy, Guitry superbly keeps a rich,darkly comedic Film Noir thread as the foundation of the title,as Artois (played by a wonderful Jean Poiret) and Cagneux (played by a brilliantly playful Michel Serrault) fire black Comedy one liners at everyone in their sights,as the guys are joined by cunning femme fatale Madeleine Ferrand, (played by an alluring Magali Noël) who gets Artois & Cagneux to uncover their lovers and thieves.
View on the film:
Diving into an off the wall flashback,the-then 71 year old writer/director Sacha Guitry displays an explosive energy that directors half his age fail to match.Keeping Artois & Cagneux seated,the screenplay by Guitry offers up an exquisite genre blend,via Artois's "one crime" pulling in grubby Film Noir double crossing,jet-set Euro fantasy,and bouncing slap-stick Comedy in an insane asylum.
Joining Artois,Guitry uses Cagneux to give the Noir a savvy heist chic,which also delivers a scorpion sting of a twist ending.Whilst looking like he is jumping into any genre that takes his fancy, Guitry superbly keeps a rich,darkly comedic Film Noir thread as the foundation of the title,as Artois (played by a wonderful Jean Poiret) and Cagneux (played by a brilliantly playful Michel Serrault) fire black Comedy one liners at everyone in their sights,as the guys are joined by cunning femme fatale Madeleine Ferrand, (played by an alluring Magali Noël) who gets Artois & Cagneux to uncover their lovers and thieves.