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Sick Product of a Sick System

Admirable film.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Noble Paris, beautiful women, small local cars... At times Africa: poor, wars, corrupted elite... Themes of love, betrayal, broken dreams are universal and fit into a spy and hit-man film as well. Belmondo is a real star, overshadowing others in every scene he is in; I would like to compare his character with James Bond - only in French.Music by Morricone is a real treasure, although it is somewhat similar to the background music from the Soviet cult series Seventeen moments of spring (1973).The ending is strange, however, I would have expected and preferred a more motivated one.

You can certainly watch this film for the music of Ennio Morricone and be thoroughly entertained.You can also enjoy the acting of Jean-Paul Belmondo (Pierrot le fou, The Forgiven Sinner) and you will not be disappointed.The direction of Georges Lautner was superb.There is enough action in this film to satisfy anyone: fights, car chases, shootouts, and great naturals on display. It combines the original Day of the Jackal, and The Bourne Identity.Sure, it doesn't have all the special effects of modern spy flicks, and you have to actually pay attention to the dialog to enjoy it, but it is a classic example of great acting.

This is an excellent film to watch provided you are able to suspend disbelief and just accept the movie for what it is. Otherwise, you will probably sit there and repeatedly say to yourself "this couldn't possibly have happened".The film begins after quite a bit of back story has already taken place. What had happened up to the beginning was that Jean-Paul Belmondo is a French agent who was sent to Madagascar to kill the dictator. However, in a twist, the French government has changed their mind about the assassination AND decided to inform the King that Belmondo is coming to kill him. You never know why there is a change of heart AND betrayal of Belmondo. The film begins with him on trial for the plan and Belmondo won't betray his government--even though this is exactly what they'd done to him.After two years in hard labor, Belmondo and another prisoner escape and eventually he makes his way to Paris. Now, angry and wanting retribution, he lets his old bosses know that he STILL intends to kill the King and will do so during his state visit to France. Why they didn't just cancel the King's visit, I have no idea. Instead, they try to both protect him and capture Belmondo. The problem, however, is that the French secret service is apparently manned by morons, as again and again, he is able to slip past them--in sort of a game of cat and mouse. At first, I thought this was kind of clever, but after a while it just seemed a bit...annoying. After all, no enemy is THAT stupid--and the police and secret service can't be that dumb, as Belmondo was one of them originally! In several cases, dozens or even hundreds of men surround a location--only to have Belmondo just sneak right in like it's no big deal! This is a severe handicap of the film--making him defeat and out-think the police could have been more interesting if the police hadn't been like the Keystone Kops.However, despite this major complaint, there is a lot to like. Jean-Paul Belmondo is great. He does many of his own stunts and his athleticism was amazing. I especially loved his ability to take a fall or do acrobatics, but his style and acting also carried the film. I also loved the car chase--it was even better than such great chases as in DIVA and LA BALANCE--two other wonderful French films. Additionally, how the assassination went down at the end of the film was brilliant--once you got past the silliness of how he just slipped into the compound! Also, while many will no doubt dislike the downbeat ending, I thought is was excellent.Overall, interesting and entertaining brain candy. With a smarter enemy, this film could have been fantastic.By the way, a review that was written some time ago complained that the film was dubbed. The DVD I saw was, thankfully, captioned--not dubbed! Hurray!

I saw this film when I was very young, at the cinema, and still remembered the glorious ending. This film is perfect in its genre. Like a 007 but with heart, sociological undertones and humour.Like when the big bosses of the system look at the city from above their crystal palaces, and the first people who help our hero are the clochards/ beggars. Which are no saints, but whose materialism "what is it there for me?" seems honorable by comparison to the chiefs.Of course Belmondo is the best, and Morricone's score can't be improved. The script by Jacques Audiard has not one word that should't be there, like Poe's famous dictum.The passage of time: This film didn't loose any power with time. On the contrary, I feel it wouldn't be possible to make it now. Maybe it was the simple technology, the vague appeal to honour, and the political incorrectness. Like when Beaumont's chief, the hooker and cops speak of the president of an African state as "le negre".Josselin has a way with words, with people and strategically. Instructor Picard goes to the point when says that "he's got the whites" = always takes the initiative. This film is about mental games when outnumbered and out resourced. As such, it could be given in a course of strategy.Whereas its imitators rely on the action scenes like "Bourne identity", riches and gadgets (007) here life is mean and meaningless. Even a genius like Beaumont can achieve little against a corrupt and inefficient system.Somebody could make a study of the use of the telescopic lenses on the rifle. He who has it wins? Not necessarily so! But the three times it's being used, people fall like flies, like if death didn't inflict any pain.Morals: Beaumont has no friends, and he barely believes in his wife or his mistress, let alone his "friend". His nemesis, Le président N'Jala, is pragmatical as him, but follows some codes: "I didn't kill you because I wanted to exchange you for something". As is Robert Hossein as Le commissaire Rosen. Somebody as hard boiled as himself, no less. The "prisonnier évadé" also has moral. As, paradoxically, Doris Frederiksen, the stunning prostitute (I can't say more, but the ending proves it). I'd liked more character development of Jeanne Baumont and Salvatore Volfoni, his pal. Rosen always drawing sketches, at important meetings or when interviewing his wife, proves he cared for nobody, it was just another way of showing his superiority (in his perspective). Like when he said of Volfoni, whom he just used as a bait, "I pity him".I agree with IMDb's reviewer from Bochum, Germany that: "Today no one makes movies like this any more...". I was thinking about who could impersonate Joss now? Matt Damon in "The Bourne identity", as suggested by Amazon reviewer Hiram Gomez Pardo? Bradd Pitt :)? Definitely time doesn't always bring about progress...PS: Everyone will have its favourite quote with such a film. Mine probably would be the Instructor Picard again when he extols his pupils' virtues: "I'd like my son to be like him" and Le ministre, still insomniac, answer: "Ok, very moving, but it doesn't solve our problem".