Casque d’or

Genre: crime and romance drama (in black and white)

With: Simone Signoret (Marie, a.k.a. ‟Casque d'or”), Serge Reggiani (Georges Manda), Claude Dauphin (Félix Leca), Raymond Bussières (Raymond), William Sabatier (Roland Dupuis), Paul Barge (Inspector Juliani), Odette Barencey (Mother Eugène), Gaston Modot (Danard), Loleh Bellon (Léonie Danard), Jean Clarieux (Paul)

Director: Jacques Becker

Screenplay: Jacques Becker, Jacques Companéez, Annette Wademant and Romi

Release: 1952

Studio: Spéva Films, Paris-Film Production, Robert and Raymond Hakim

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.7/10

  

A Woman They Could Kill for 

 

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Story-line: the setting is France during the Belle Époque. On a glorious Sunday afternoon, a  close-knit group of men and women arrives at a riverside café. They all look quite content except for one couple, sexy Marie the prostitute and bossy Roland who treats her like dirt. At the café, one member of the group, Raymond, chances upon Georges Manda, an old buddy from reform school. While they chat, Georges notices Marie and she stares at him intensely. Yes, love is in the air… but Roland, as jealous and quick-tempered as he is, doesn’t intend to be a pushover.    

Pluses: excellent performances by the great Simone Signoret (as the sharply-dressed, sharp-tongued Marie), an intense Serge Reggiani, a ruthless Claude Dauphin and a strong supporting cast, top-notch direction, a complex and brilliant screenplay full of spicy dialogues, interesting details and well-drawn characters, true-to-life production values, an effective musical score embracing different styles (popular tunes, romantic interludes, operatic flourishes) and a potent ending.

Minuses: none I can think of. In a literal sense, ‟Casque d'or” means ‟helmet of gold”, a clear reference to Marie’s blond head of hair.

Comments: CASQUE D’OR contains all the elements of a French classic – magnetic protagonists, a torrid love story, rivalries, lust, danger, violence – and is indeed considered a magnum opus in cinema. There is a lot to this movie I cannot reveal because I don’t want to spoil it for you. Why is Manda hiding behind a new identity? The group of revellers at the café… who are they really and what is their connection with Félix Leca, the dealer in wines and spirits? And Marie, is she just playing games, with all those men hovering around her? Jacques Becker’s film will speak to your heart – and to your mind – with its stunning scenes, vigorous drama and flights of lyricism worthy of CARMEN or TOSCA in the world of opera. 

 

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Amour

Genre: psychological drama

With: Jean-Louis Trintignant (Georges), Emmanuelle Riva (Anne), Isabelle Huppert (Éva), Alexandre Tharaud (Alexandre, the pianist), William Shimell (Geoff), Ramón Agirre (Méry), Rita Blanco (Mrs. Méry)

Director: Michael Haneke

Screenplay: Michael Haneke

Release: 2012

Studio: Les Films du Losange, X-Filme Creative Pool, Wega Film et al.

Rating: PG-13

MBiS score: 8.7/10 

 

‟I don't remember the film either. But I remember the feeling.” 

 

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Story-line: responding to an emergency, firemen use a battering ram to enter the apartment of an elderly Parisian couple, Anne and Georges Laurent. In the bedroom, they find Anne’s body on the bed, lifeless and surrounded by flowers. Michael Haneke’s film reveals the circumstances behind this sad event.

Pluses: treasurable acting by Emmanuelle Riva (1927-2017) and Jean-Louis Trintignant (1930-2022), fine support from Isabelle Huppert as their sometimes disapproving daughter, professional direction, an honest and unflinching screenplay, top-flight cinematography, modest production values.

Minuses: due to its subject matter, the movie’s pacing is deliberate but, more importantly, it truly reflects the cadence of old age. Story-wise, AMOUR doesn’t lose any interest by revealing its outcome very early; from my point of view, this makes the ending even more startling and powerful.

Comments: the closed-in and touching AMOUR describes the increasingly difficult life of two old souls fighting against illness while their relationship hangs by a thread and their daughter despairs. This Palme d’or winner from 2012 is very enlightening as it shows how little we matter in the grand scheme of things and how much patience, courage and love is required during a family crisis. It also displays, for posterity, the exceptional talents of Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant in one of their last appearances on screen. (By the way, Jean-Louis Trintignant also played a man named Georges Laurent in HAPPY END (2017), another Haneke film starring Isabelle Huppert.) 

 

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Bai ri yan huo

English title: Black Coal, Thin Ice

Genre: crime drama

With: Fan Liao (Zhang Zili, the badass detective), Gwei Lun-Mei (Wu Zhizhen, the widow), Jingchun Wang (Rong Rong, the laundry owner), Ailei Yu (Captain Wang, Zhang’s friend), Jingyang Ni (Su Lijuan), Xuebing Wang (Liang Zhijun)

Director: Yi’nan Diao

Screenplay: Yi’nan Diao

Release: 2014

Studio: Omnijoi Media Corporation, Boneyard Entertainment China, Fortissimofilms et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.5/10 

 

‟Hey, did they find the head?” 

 

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Story-line: in 1999, while cracking a gruesome murder case in which victims were dismembered, Zhang loses two colleagues and is severely injured during the final arrest. Five years later, given to drink and scraping by as a security guard, Zhang feels his investigative instincts rekindled when an old buddy on the force tells him about a new string of murders committed in much the same way as in 1999.

Pluses: solid acting by Fan Liao (a Silver Bear winner in Berlin as the dominant character here), Gwei Lun-Mei and a flawless supporting cast, tight, economical but dynamic direction, a busy, quirky and mysterious screenplay bolstered by interesting characters, odd events and a few very funny moments, lovely and unusually atmospheric cinematography (as most of the action happens in winter), top-quality production values, a fine, varied musical score and a bizarre, open-ended denouement.

Minuses: be especially alert during the first 20 minutes when facts come by fast and furious (or watch the opening segment a second time to really get into the groove of things).

Comments: I will be brief because I don’t want to spoil this one for you. The more you watch this product of recent Chinese cinema, the more it grows on you with its action-packed, enigmatic story and spunky protagonist. Kudos to Yi’nan Diao, a Golden Bear winner, and to everyone involved! 

 

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A Touch of Evil

Genre: crime drama (in black and white)

With: Charlton Heston (Mike Vargas), Janet Leigh (Susan Vargas), Orson Welles (Police Captain Hank Quinlan), Joseph Calleia (Police Sergeant Pete Menzies), Akim Tamiroff (Joe Grandi), Joanna Moore (Marcia Linnekar), Ray Collins (District Attorney Adair), Dennis Weaver (Mirador Motel Night Manager), Valentin de Vargas (Pancho), Mort Mills (Al Schwartz), Marlene Dietrich (Tanya)

Director: Orson Welles

Screenplay: Orson Welles, Franklin Coen and Paul Monash (from the novel by Whit Masterson)

Release: 1958

Studio: Universal International Pictures

Rating: PG-13

MBiS score: 8.8/10 

 

The (Very) Long Arm of the Law 

 

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Story-line: while on their honeymoon in a town straddling the US border, Mike Vargas, a Mexican official, and his bride Susan are near witnesses to a crime that may have international implications. Volunteering as a legal observer, Mike readily finds fault with the investigation carried out by Captain Quinlan, who openly complains that Mike is interfering with his work. A mild disagreement, perhaps…

Pluses: excellent acting by Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh and a very impressive Orson Welles, fine support from an able cast (Marlene Dietrich’s contribution is priceless), brilliant, fast-paced direction, a busy, complex and scary screenplay allowing for lots of atmosphere, action and punchy dialogues, winning cinematography, thoughtful editing, top-grade production values, a varied musical score responsive to every mood and a potent, disconcerting ending.

Minuses: some lines of dialogue are quite demeaning to Mexicans.

Comments: in a way similar to Roman Polanski’s CHINATOWN, A TOUCH OF EVIL draws you into a world of tawdry dealings and amoral characters. Memorable for its perversity, enigmatic story and star power, Orson Welles’ perfect work is a must-see for movie buffs. Some experts have rated it a masterpiece… and I won’t argue with that!

  

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Manbiki kazoku

English title: Shoplifters

Genre: crime drama  

With: Lily Franky (Osamu Shibata), Sakura Andô (Nobuyo Shibata), Kirin Kiki (Hatsue Shibata), Mayu Matsuoka (Aki Shibata), Jyo Kairi (Shota Shibata), Miyu Sasaki (Yuri Hojo), Sôsuke Ikematsu (4 ban-san)

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda

Screenplay: Hirokazu Koreeda

Release: 2018

Studio: AOI Promotion, GAGA, Fuji TV Movies et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.4/10

  

The More the Merrier  

 

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Story-line: one winter evening, after shoplifting a grocery store, Osamu and his son Shota hear a noise in a back alley and see a little girl alone inside a cold building. Moved by her helplessness, Osamu decides to bring her home to his family.

Pluses: top-level acting by an endearing cast (in spite of their characters’ faults), professional direction, an intelligent and understated screenplay that develops naturally and musters a full range of situations and emotions, credible production values, attractive cinematography, a versatile musical score and a surprising ending.

Minuses: (1) to help you understand the plot without revealing too much of it, I should mention that the main characters here are Osamu, Nobuyo (his lady), Shota (their teenage ‟son”), Aki (Nobuyo’s ‟sister”) and Hatsue (‟Grandma”), who live together as a loosely structured family of odd jobbers and shoplifters; Yuri, the little girl, will become its sixth member. (2) One piece of advice: this film needs a full 30 minutes to introduce its characters and prepare for takeoff; it may feel mundane at first but your patience will be amply rewarded later on.

Comments: SHOPLIFTERS is a very well-made, complex and intriguing film that becomes increasingly poignant – and astonishing – as you follow the Shibata family through thick and thin. This Oscar and BAFTA nominee and Palme d’or winner caught me off guard with its slowly developing but potent drama. 

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Pickpocket

Genre: psychological drama (in black and white)

With: Martin La Salle (Michel), Marika Green (Jeanne), Pierre Leymarie (Jacques), Jean Pélégri (the Police Inspector), Dolly Scal (Michel’s mother), Kassagi (the first accomplice), Pierre Étaix (the second accomplice)

Director: Robert Bresson

Screenplay: Robert Bresson

Release: 1959

Studio: Lux, Compagnie Cinématographique de France

Rating: G

MBiS score: 8.5/10 

 

‟I had made my decision some days before. But would I have the nerve?” 

 

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Story-line: one day at the Longchamp racetrack, while anxious bettors throw money on thoroughbreds, Michel looks for a chance to pick someone’s pocket. Given an opportunity, he seizes it, experiences great pleasure as he leaves the track… but is promptly arrested by plainclothes policemen.

Pluses: fine performances by Martin La Salle (the meticulous and taciturn Michel), Marika Green (a quietly brave Jeanne) and cast, restrained direction, a patient, disciplined and surprising screenplay notable for its pauses, shifty characters and spare dialogues, strikingly spartan production values, a discreet but ever supportive musical score and a challenging ending.

Minuses: none I can think of. However, as noted when I reviewed A MAN ESCAPED, you will need several minutes to get used to Robert Bresson’s cryptic, radical moviemaking.     

Comments: this sketchy, introspective and minimalist film shares the seriousness of Truffaut’s psychological studies and the philosophical underpinnings of Camus’s great existential novel, The Stranger. Bresson’s work is about ideas as much as action as it toys with Michel’s weaknesses, hidden desires and inability to communicate. Intelligent, original, even daring, PICKPOCKET ably demonstrates that less is more, in a vein that reminded me of David Mamet’s excellent HOUSE OF GAMES. It also serves as a warning to us all: do be careful when in a crowd or a public place. 

 

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