Mister Flow

It's the second time I've watched "Mister Flow" and I still do not know what to think of it.Do not get me wrong,I'm a big Siodmak fan but I have a problem with this movie.Based on a Gaston Leroux (" Le Mystere De La Chambre Jaune" "Le Fantôme de L'Opera" ),it's not really faithful to the spirit of the writer,being more vaudeville than mystery.Of course Henri Jeanson comes up with good lines ,one of them dealing with Mister Flow's colleague Arsene Lupin,who is given a subjunctive imperfect treatment.Of course Louis Jouvet's short appearance is as great as ever :you should him whining in his cell or in the courtroom of honor.Of course Edwige Feuillère is a Grande Dame.But Siodmak seems ill at ease and his directing,which made him one of the first masters of the film noir ,is unremarkable.

Siodmak's great French works are " Mollenard Capitaine Corsaire" and "Pièges" ."Mister Flow" ,this story of mistaken identities and robberies ,although it's a notch or two above "Le Sexe Faible" ,"Le Chemin de Rio" and "La Crise Est Finie" ,is far behind the two final efforts.