Film Review
Although he was far from enthusiastic about having to adapt
Rémy's thriller novel, director Georges Lautner does a
reasonable job and delivers the first of his celebrated thriller
parodies. As the film was originally scripted as a straight
thriller, the humour is stretched pretty thinly, so you should not
expect too many laughs. Lautner would have far more success with
his subsequent comedy-thrillers, including the direct sequel to this
film
L'Oeil du monocle (1962) and
the classic
Les Tontons flingueurs
(1963). Lautner's direction on
Le Monocle
noir lacks the inspired touch, although there are a few
surprising flourishes towards the end. The film's excellent cast
includes Pierre Blanchar in his final screen appearance (as the
eccentric Marquis de Villemaur), although the star of the film is Paul
Meurisse, in the first of three outings as the supremely elegant secret
agent Dromard. Bernard Blier makes a few humorous incursions, and
it is worth noting that his son Bertrand began his film career here, as
Lautner's assistant director.
© James Travers 2011
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Georges Lautner film:
L'Oeil du monocle (1962)
Film Synopsis
The Marquis de Villemaur, an eccentric old man, invites to his mansion in
the country a curious assortment of individuals who have one thing in common
- they are Nazi sympathisers who expect to be presented with a survivor of
the Third Reich. When one of the guests, Mathyas, is unmasked as a
Soviet agent, the Marquis commands his two henchmen to dispose of him.
After witnessing Mathyas's killing, Monique, a secretary, is also murdered,
and her death is blamed on the librarian Mérignac by a mysterious
blind man, Commander Dromart. Far from being visually impaired, the
latter is in fact a senior agent in the French security services who is on
a mission to arrange the capture of a group of dangerous Fascists.
Commander Dromart will need to exercise all of his cunning if he is to thwart
the Marquis and uncover the identity of the Nazi figurehead...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.