Macadam

In the seedy side streets of Montmartre, where everyone has a racket, Françoise Rosay runs a seedy hotel. She also has side-lines in selling short-weighted perfume and smuggling tobacco and linen. She shot her husband fifteen years ago because he objected. Her daughter, Andrée Clément, drudges for her. Into this mix comes street peddlar Jacques Dacquemine, and Paul Meurisse who has a satchel of cash and, with his girl Simone Signoret, has swindled a rich dupe out of an expensive ring and...

It's an ensemble piece about the five of them as they sort out their short-term issues, each thinking himself too clever to fall into disaster. The performance are excellent, with Rosay superb under the direction of her husband, Jacques Feyder; age was catching up with him and the movie was finished by Marcel Blistène.

Feyder would be credited as "supervising director" on one more movie, then die in 1948 in Switzerland. He had been born in Belgium in 1885, acted on the stage by 1912 and began directing for Gaumont in 1916. After serving in the Belgian army during the First World War, he returned to writing and directing in 1921. He worked in Hollywood for a few years, and returned to France, always maintaining that he was a craftsman in a vast industry. His collaborators and admirers were legion, including Abel Gance, Julien Duvivier (for who he co-wrote POILE DE CAROTE (1925), Marcel Carne and Rene Clair.

Françoise Rosay (Rose) runs a seedy hotel. She is tall, large and takes no nonsense. She has a pretty sound moral compass and a healthy philosophy when it comes to ripping people off. She absolutely loves it and makes sure it works for her. No goody-two shoes lifestyle for her. Unlike her dominated daughter Andrée Clément (Simone) who helps run the hotel by doing the menial jobs and wants her mum to be good and do the correct thing. Not her style, I'm afraid. Into this hotel enters old acquaintance Paul Meurisse (Victor) who is on the run on his way to Chile with a stash of cash. He goes out and leaves the money in the care of Rosay. Bad move.

This film has comic moments, funny dialogue, dramatic scenes and has you rooting for Rosay. Will she get away with her scams? The cast are good although Meurisse doesn't cut it as a killer to be feared. He's more of a weasel to be bumped off.

The film has a peculiar moral in that it seems ok to bump people off if the police feel it is justified. No questions asked. I'm not saying it's wrong - it's a technique they use themselves today when it comes to terrorist activities. None of this political correctness about catching the perpetrators alive. Shoot them dead. Blam. Then walk away. Good for them.