Film Review
Lino Ventura, for many years the archetypal tough guy in French cinema,
turns in another sterling performance in this carefully constructed
mystery thriller based on a novel by André Gillois (the
brother of the renowned filmmaker and producer Henri Diamant-Berger).
In both its plotting and its design,
125 rue Montmartre
looks as if it was strongly influenced by American film noir
and Alfred Hitchcock's suspense thrillers. Indeed, the subject
of a man wrongly charged with a crime he did not commit is
distinctly Hitchcockian.
This is the kind of film that director Gilles Grangier was most adept at,
although he had more success (and was better known for) his
light comedies, including
Le Gentleman d'Epsom (1962) and
La Cuisine au beurre (1963).
Versatile director though he was, Grangier was in his element with his noirish thrillers
- as his earlier films
Au p'tit zouave (1949)
and
Gas-Oil (1955) amply
demonstrate.
125 rue Montmartre isn't just written and
photographed with flair, it also has a distinguished cast which
includes - in addition to the great Ventura - exemplary performers
such as Andréa Parisy, Alfred Adam, Jean Desailly and
the ever-glamorous Dora Doll.
© James Travers 2002
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Gilles Grangier film:
Archimède, le clochard (1959)
Film Synopsis
Pascal makes a modest living selling newspapers on the streets of Paris.
He may have a surly temperament but he is a good natured soul at heart, always
ready to help a fellow creature if he can. Naturally, when he sees
a man jump into the River Seine, he does not hesitate to come to his rescue.
The visibly distressed man, Didier, reveals he was driven to this desperate
act by his family, in particular his wife Catherine who is determined to
rob him of his fortune. Moved by this tale of woe, Pascal offers to
help Didier in any way he can. Didier suggests that they go back to
his house to pick up some money. As he enters the house, Pascal unwittingly
falls into a carefully laid trap. Alerted by Catherine, the police
suddenly turn up and find the body of a dead man in the house. The
victim is identified as Catherine's husband, but to Pascal's surprise it
is not Didier! Catherine insists that Pascal murdered her husband,
and all the evidence seems to be against him. The only person who thinks
otherwise is the police inspector leading the criminal investigation...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.