Der Herr mit den Millionen

The movie in itself is nothing special : a gangster movie, directed in a classic and worn-out way, with no specific directing whatsoever. And with a slow pace - in French, we will say a movie "à la papa", meaning a cinema made with too much comfort. But we have some of the best Audiard's dialog and one-liners and that changes everything! Gabin, Blier, and the rest of the cast, pretty decent, helps as well, but without the chiseled lines from Audiard, it would have just been average.

Someone made me discovered this film emphasizing on the beautiful dialogs and the strong performance of Mr Jean Gabin. Being a huge fan of the film makers next greater success' "les tontons flingueurs", I was not reluctant at all to watch this movie. These aging gangster movies play with the morals of that earlier time. Subsequently it's OK to cheat on your husband and to have your house in a former "bordel" and of course all your long time friends are geniuses in the world of crime. The viewer enjoys a nice feeling of coolness and simplicity watching the actors displaying their lives. The introduction to the characters is also very interesting, allowing Mr Gabin a honorable entry in the plot. And of course each character has his own memorable quotes : *[...] and if I went on with psychoanalysis, I'd say he's the king of fools!". * "- In pure theory how much could we hope for with that counterfeit? - 20 years! Profit splits, imprisonment adds up" I would not want to finish this review without raising my hat to Bernard Blier, a huge "supporting actor with the charisma of a main character". His nonchalant act is great and honest. He belongs to the few artists who know how to catch your attention with an indescribable magnetism. Hope you enjoy it too.

Yet another vision of these counterfeiters of Paris. But the film does have its moments.

The dialogue is one thing, penned here by Michel Audiard, but with Jean Gabin doing his late-career thing: his performance is so predictable it's almost embarrassing. If we strip away Jean Gabin's tics and schematisms, the rest of the cast is superb and more subtle, and well served by Gilles Grangier's dialogue and direction.

One of the pleasures of the film is to see each of the parties make the other believe in an ensemble that is a festival of liars. Jean Gabin, the cellar-dweller, Bernard Blier and his clan, the operating principle of the plot is the lies they all practice.

What's disturbing here is the misogyny and phallocracy, which seems anachronistic today, but which dates the film furiously, very ridiculous in view of the society of the 2020s, to which we can add alcohol and cigarettes, present at all times, as well as racism (Jean Gabin's reaction to savage music). Women are tools, at the stove or sex objects.

Le Cave se rebiffe is one of my favorite movies of all times. With an impeccable cast (Jean Gabin, Bernard Blier and Maurice Biraud among others)and an excellent story to go along things can't go anything but right. Add to that the dialogs from Michel Audiard and voilà! a masterpiece.

This movie contains two of my favorite Audiard one liners, I'll try and translate for non French-speaking members: - About Eric, Jean Gabin says: "If stupidity could be measured, he'd serve as a yardstick for it" - Talking with Maurice Biraud: "To deny your own talents makes it easier for mediocre people to succeed".

Real funny stuff, but also things to think about.

'Touchez-pas au Grisbi' was the first in the Max le Menteur trilogy of Albert Simonin. The film under review is the second and 'Les Tontons Flingueurs' the third. All three adaptations have dialogue by the great Michel Audiard. This is the eighth collaboration of director Gilles Grangier with the irrepressible Jean Gabin whose career had been revitalised by 'Grisbi' in 1956. He has here one of his best roles of the 1960's as a master counterfeiter.There is tremendous support from Bernard Blier, Frank Villard, Balpetre, Martine Carol, Ginette Leclerc and the imperious Francoise Rosay. It is Gabin who is gifted the best lines notably 'the greatest failed businesses are built on trust'! Extremely entertaining with never a dull moment. Comedy is a serious business of course but I would like to think that the cast had as much fun in making this film as I had in watching it.