Film Review
Maurice Regamey is not a name that is well-remembered today but he
directed one of the best early Louis de Funès comedies -
Comme un cheveu sur la soupe
(1957) - before trying his hand in an altogether different genre with
this effective, albeit somewhat formulaic, pastiche of American film noir.
Regamey started out as an actor before making the move to the other
side of the camera in the early 1950s, and he ended up directing just
five feature-length films and several shorts, all mostly
forgotten.
À pleines
mains is arguably the most inspired and watchable of Regamey's films, a slick
and suspenseful noir thriller that makes a complete contrast with his
three light comedies - which include the lacklustre Fernandel vehicle
Honoré de Marseille (1956)
- and his swansong period drama
La Salamandre d'or
(1962).
À pleines mains is
clearly the work of a fond devotee of the classic American noir
B-movie. Had it been dubbed by a cast of American actors, it could easily
be mistaken for such, but its jazzy score - an essential addition to
any French thriller after Louis Malle's genre-defining
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud
(1957) - gives it a modern Gallic identity. Packed to the
eyeballs with clichés and narrative sleights of hand, the plot
isn't remotely credible but the authentic performances (from a mostly
unfamiliar cast) and some deft mise-en-scène carry it
through. Louis Seigner, the most distinguished actor in the cast,
has such a commanding presence as the inspector leading the
investigation that you can easily imagine him in the role of
Jules Maigret. It's a shame that Maurice Regamey's work is so
overlooked because, like his previous Louis de Funès romp,
À pleines mains is an
unexpected little gem that no self-respecting fan of French film noir should miss.
© James Travers 2015
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
In Spain, a gang of crooks make off with an enormous quantity of
watermarked paper with which they intend to make counterfeit
banknotes. Having made it back to France, they enlist the
services of a forger named Besnard to painstakingly forge the
banknotes. His work done, Besnard is attacked and left for
dead. He is found just in time and is soon safe in hospital,
tended to by a young intern, Pierre Chevillon. The latter's
fiancée Colette Guérin is a journalist who has grown
tired of being patronised by her boss. Intrigued by Besnard, she
decides to investigate what he was up to, but soon ends up in the hands
of a ruthless gang of
criminals...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.