Speaking of Murder

Le Rouge est Mis, aka Speaking of Murder, is a realistic and colorful gangster film from Gilles Grangier that's well worth a watch. It features Jean Gabin and Lino Ventura, both fine actors, Gabin especially. They were often typecast as underworld figures, with Gabin also enjoying many roles as a cop. And here they are together reprising their typical roles as gangsters, with Gabin the boss, a suave everyman, always in control, and Ventura the trigger-happy tough guy. This is a solid story, very well paced, economical (95 minutes), with colorful dialogue. It's spiced up by a family drama and a romance, thanks to Marcel Bozzuffi and Annie Girardot, both excellent.