Console best movie i've ever seen.

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

JasparLamarCrabb A classy but not entirely successful crime thriller from director Claude Lelouch. Jean-Louis Trintignant stars as career criminal who, after being busted for kidnapping a child, escapes from jail and is bent on getting revenge on one of his turncoat cohorts (to say anymore would spoil things). Trintignant is dynamite as a seedy, amoral louse who'll stop at nothing as he arrogantly eludes police capture. He's supported by the likes of Daniele Delorme (whose case of Stockholm syndrome hits very quickly), Christine Lelouch, Charles Gérard and Amidou as a not-so- trustful gun salesman. Best of all is Charles Denner as the very nervous father of the kidnap victim. There's some pretty hyperactive music by Francis Lai that really can't mask the fact that not much is happening during the film's first half. The plot kicks in and the film's second half is very enjoyable. Lelouch did the cinematography as well...as he's done for a number of his films.

MartinHafer I watched this film on DVD and absolutely loved it--nearly as much as other European crime classics such as RAFIFI, BOB LE FLAMBEUR and GRAND SLAM. The acting was amazingly realistic--particularly from Jean-Louis Trintignant in the lead. The direction is generally excellent and the writers showed that they could make an intelligent and well-constructed film that is timeless. And the film just screams quality is nearly every respect.Despite how much I loved the film, the editing was very odd, in that the scene transitions from the present (1970) to 1965 and this transition is not at all smooth. You figure it all out very quickly but you are left with the distinct impression that you missed something. As I had the DVD, I went back and reviewed this transition where the two male crooks are eating at the home of the lady Jean-Louis Trintignant met at the theater in 1970 (after his prison escape). Suddenly, his old girlfriend is seen driving up to a house in the country and it's "pre-crime"--and long before he goes to prison. It appears to be a mistake and I can't see why the director would have chosen this otherwise.So one final comment about the film. The movie succeeds in hooking you because the plot is pretty entertaining and complex and I strongly recommend it. Oddly, however, the DVD box says it's a comedy. I wouldn't agree--it's not at all funny, though it has some ironic twists (that you're bound to like) and has a somewhat light mood at times.

ch4151 Thanks to other reviewers on IMDb. I picked up this pleasant surprise. The opening musical had me worried a little. But soon the clever plot revealed itself. This movie is witty and funny, several steps above a lot of Hollywood movies in the same genre today. It still looks incredibly fresh today.The flashback is so seamlessly inserted that I watched the movie again just to find out exactly where it begins. There are moments that make you smile or laugh out loud: the movie-in-movie poking fun at the genre, the mentioning of LeLouch's another film – "un home et une femme", the kidnapping plot, the little details about the characters,etc. LeLouch's direction is fluid and stylish. The naturalistic acting is great and spot-on from the top down. I didn't know that Trintignant could be funny!!! In this movie, he is charismatic, charming, and ruthless all at once and never once goes over the top or shows any movie star self-awareness we usually see today.This is a fantastic movie that can be watched again and again.

Chrisva This is a brilliant, charming film. To the poster wanting "Merci Simca" to become a common well-known phrase- I totally agree. This movie has it all- wit, charm, great acting, clever script, great use of flashbacks, inventive crimes, great car chase thru the 70's streets of Paris- an almost perfect film. This movie is easily the equal of other classic French crime films of the time- it's a shame it is so little known. You may be thrown a bit (as was I) when characters are doing things out of character, not realizing it's a flashback, but that only adds to the experience- I'd rather be confused for a few minutes than have some obvious corny announcement that a flashback is coming, like squiggly dream lines appearing on screen. I had heard nothing of this film and had no expectations, and was blown away. This film was 25 years ahead of its time, it's kind of a forerunner to comedy/crime films such as Pulp Fiction, True Lies, Go, etc., but superior to all those.