Alain Delon and Charles Bronson star as Dino Barran and Franz Propp, two French Foreign Legion veterans returned to Marseille after fighting in Algiers. Dino makes the acquaintance of a comely lass named Isabelle (Olga Georges-Picot), who entices him into a plan to return some stolen bearer bonds to a banks' vault. He will use his medical training as a cover, working as a doctor. But while hiding in the basement, waiting to make his move, he encounters Franz, who's there to rob the vault. The two men end up locked inside it, and while they wait for the building to open up again, they spend some time forming a friendship.
The idea is that the two unlikely friends develop a strong enough bond that neither one will be willing to rat the other one out, even after Franz is later apprehended and grilled by the police.
On the surface, this would seem to be a standard comic heist movie, but it's the initially antagonistic relationship between these mismatched characters that is the real heart and soul of the film. Delon had wanted to work with Bronson since seeing "Machine-Gun Kelly", and suggested him for the role of Franz. They have great chemistry, and are particularly funny in the early going when they keep trying to one-up each other. Offering fine support are lovely ladies Georges-Picot and Brigitte Fossey as bank employee Dominique, whom Dino turns to for help. Bernard Fresson is also great as determined police inspector Antoine Meloutis.
Although a little over-extended at just under two hours, "Farewell, Friend" offers up a fair amount of fun and humour, as well as a bit of suspense. (Franz is often attempting a trick of submerging as many coins as possible in a drink before it will overflow the cup / glass.). It also has a bit of action, and some memorable and delicious twists late in the game.
Delon is cool as always, and Bronson is just a joy: smiling, laughing, joking. If you're a fan of one or both of them, you'll have a pretty good time watching this one.
Seven out of 10.
