In 1959, Robert Hossein had already tried his hand at this kind of movie in an enclosed place :"la nuit des espions" .
Robert Hossein and gorgeous Marina Vlady (who were husband and wife at the time) may (or may not) be English agents in WW2 ;there were four possibilities: Are they agents working for the allies or are they spies? Or perhaps only one of them is? During one night ,in a lonely cabin, they try to unmask their companion.
"le caviar rouge" , as it is based on a Frederic Dard novel (like the 1959 work and many other successful Hossein movies ,including classic film noir "toi le venin")promised an interesting spy thriller ; but it was then and it is now : once again two characters (Russian agents this time ) act as if they were on stage in a gloomy house ; one of them has betrayed and that's why they were summoned by their boss. In spite of implausibilities ,(gourmet food galore) "la nuit des espions " sustained suspense till the end ."Le caviar rouge" does not: it's a muddled story,very hard to decipher ,and neither Hossein nor his real-life wife Candice Patou can convince the viewer who yawns his head off .
A cheap epitaph for Hossein director.
