Cast: Charles Aznavour & Marie Dubois
Director: François Truffaut
Rating:
Enetertainment Quotient: 50%
Genre: Gangster
Runtime: 92 min
Language: French
MPAA rating: Unrated

Synopsis:
Charlie Kohler (Charles Aznavour) is a pianist in a bar. He gives shelter to his elder brother who stole money and ditched his partners. The partners get to Charlie in order to find the whereabouts of his elder brother. Lena (Marie Dubois) is a waitress in that bar and she is in love with Charlie. Charlie has a past. His real name was Edouard Saroyan and he was a celebrated pianist. But he stops his celebrity life and changes his name after her wife suicides. Mean while, the goons kidnap Charlie’s kid brother Fido. The rest of the story is all about how he saves his kid brother.

What I liked in the film?
It is a stylish black and white mafia film with many dimensions. It has a flashback that includes changing of name, casual yet interesting conversations, wit and a bit of suspense. The kidnappers are more interesting than the main leads. In this film, you can see traces of many trends and patterns that were later made familiar by the Hollywood directors.

The scenes I liked

1. When the lady’s bosom is exposed in a nude scene, the guy covers it and says “this is how they show in movies”. (typical Woody Allen kind of wit)
2. While walking with heroine, the guy gets tempted to touch her. To resist himself he counts 10 with his fingers.
3. Hero and heroine escaping from the kidnapper by speeding the car.
4. When they are caught by cops, the hero and heroine walk away. Then kidnappers tell them that ‘see you soon’ and these guys reply, “will wait for you”.
5. Husband and wife playing customer and waitress game in the restaurant.
6. The funny conversations by kidnappers about women like women wear silk panties and why can’t men wear them. (I think Quentin Tarantino picked the aspect of ruthless gangsters having cool conversations from this flick).
7. The scene in which kidnappers discusses about women’s clothing and declare that women dress attractively to make sure that men look at them. (reminds me of a Puri Jagan’s dialogue in Pokiri film)

Tailpiece:
This is the second film of the new wave French film director François Truffaut. It is fascinating to see him conceiving scenes and patterns which have become very familiar in the contemporary cinema.