If you're looking for something like "Le Boucher" or "Les Cousins" ,please pass by.It's Chabrol's second period ,between his promising debut ("le beau Serge" "les cousins" "à double tour" ) and his golden age ("Que la Bête Meure";"Le Boucher")In a nutshell,it's the director's transitional period ,and among his huge filmography ,a wise French cine buff would pass this up,if only out of respect for him.
Produced by Mrs Gouze-Renal ,François Mitterrand's sister-in-law ,and featuring her husband Roger Hanin,this is would be spoof on the spy thrillers of the sixties but it's not really funny ;Hanin is neither really handsome nor comic.The subject of the Nazis of South America trying to create a new pure blond blue-eyed superman was reprized by Michel Hazanavicius ,with much more satisfying results in "OSS 117:Rio Ne Repond Plus" starring highly talented Jean Dujardin.
It was the first time Chabrol had directed Michel Bouquet (who had also a small part in " La Route De Corinthe" ) and this is the only reason why you would sit through this bomb;Bouquet would later star in much more absorbing Chabrol works ("La Femme Infidèle" "La rupture " and "Juste Avant La Nuit").These are the ones to be recommended.
Couldn't care less directing ,confused screenplay ,poor acting(Roger Dumas ,who could have provided the movie with comic relieves ,is totally wasted),and Bric -à-brac borrowed from James Bond the Orchid replacing Spectre.And I sincerely doubt that Bunuel was influenced by the scene at the zoo for his " Fantôme De La Liberté"
Like this ? try this.
"Le Tigre Aime La Chair Fraîche " (the first installment feat.Hanin and Dumas ,James Bond girl Daniela Bianchi ,and mainly Stephane Audran as a diva)