Happy New Year

Former boxer Lino Ventura stars in this popular crime piece. But Claude Lelouche, the director of the hugely internationally successful romance Un Homme et Une Femme ensured that this too is a story of a man and a woman in which both Ventura and Francoise Fabian play their parts to perfection. Vive la Difference is the subtext of this film, and one marvels at the raw chemistry generated by the two stars. Lelouche can't help having a dig at smug left-bank intellectuals, but who can blame him for that? Nothing in this film is predictable, right to the very end. Why it seems to be unavailable in video is a mystery to me! See it!

I give this film a nine, for two reasons: 1. Sharp movie script, well delivered by the protagonists; and 2. Lino in his grave won't like this, but Francoise Fabian steals this movie from him with a truly compelling performance - as a socially and professionally sophisticated and sumptuously attractive woman who is a foil for all men, save Lino Ventura, who conveys at least as much personal chemistry in this film as a block of cement. I mean, when they are reunited following his six-year stint behind bars - he has nothing to say to her, when she is all choked-up with emotion! Ventura gives the expression "man of few words" a renaissance interpretation.

Ventura, frankly, was much better cast as the detective out to corral the jewel thieves, in "The Sicilian Clan," than he is here, as the reticent-personality jewel thief, and developing "love interest" of Francoise Fabian. She is so beguiling in this film, looking an ageless 30 instead of her 40 years of age at the time, one wonders if Lelouche might have considered her opposite Trintignant in "A Man And A Woman," some six years earlier? She deserved as least as much international recognition as many of her contemporaries of this time who outshined her, beginning with Claudia Cardinale, Elke Sommer, and Elsa Martinelli, none of whom could have carried this film to stellar heights, as did FF.

This film was pretty good and it was nice to see older men in lead roles who are not particularly sexy. Our hero(?) is a sophisticated thief who has intricately planned, along with his friend, the theft of a famous jewel store. It reminded me of the movies Rafifi and Grand Slam, though this caper was performed by 2 instead of it being a larger group effort. Also, it differs in that it diverges into a romance that builds with a woman whose store is next to the jewelers. Although I liked this relationship part of the movie, the speed at which the woman fell for him and the depth of this love seemed rather unreal, but this is a small quibble for an otherwise excellent film.

Claude Lelouch takes the ideas of present and past and turns them ingeniously on their heads. We see the history of the three main characters' involvement with each other in a humorous account involving the past and present. Some of this time-switching reminds me of the film to come, Tarrantino's Pulp Fiction, in its clever time-narrative.

The film works its way around crime, friendship and love in an artistic way, leaving you quite satisfied with the outcome.

Director Jacques Becker is credited with giving former wrestler Lino Ventura his break in films, for which we owe him a debt of thanks and here Ventura's co-star is Becker's widow Francoise Fabian.

Not only is this an expertly crafted 'heist' movie but also depicts an unlikely romance between polar opposites in the shape of a mucho macho, monogamous, uneducated crook and and an elegant, sexually liberated, cultured antique dealer. They are played to perfection by Ventura and Fabian whose chemistry is palpable. There are also humorous exchanges between Ventura and his loyal but rather dim-witted associate played by Charles Gérard.

Despite the customary pot pourri of styles employed by Claude Lelouch this is certainly one of his most accessible and entertaining films. It spans a period of seven years during most of which Ventura's character spends behind bars. There are flashbacks within flashbacks during one of which we are treated to scenes from this director's most popular film from the previous decade which could be seen as a comment on the changing social climate.

Pierre Uytterhoven has again collaborated on the script, Francis Lai once more provides the score whilst Lelouch himself operates the camera.

Lelouch has been unfairly labelled by many as a one-hit wonder which does him a great disservice and undervalues his creativity, imagination, technical skill and the freedom he gives his actors.

An homogenised Hollywood makeover with its obligatory 'feel good' factor came and went.