Un homme est mort

French star Jean-Louis Trintignant ("The Great Silence") plays Lucien Bellon, a French hitman who comes to L. A. to assassinate American mobster Victor (Ted de Corsia, "The Killing"). But soon Lucien is dodging attempts on his *own* life, thanks to a *relentless* - if not that competent - American hitman, Lenny (Roy Scheider, "The French Connection"). The only help that Lucien really gets is from Nancy Robson (Ann-Margret, "Carnal Knowledge"), the boss at a topless bar.

Directed with a true European sensibility by Jacques Deray ("He Died with His Eyes Open"), "The Outside Man" a.k.a. "Un Homme Est Mort" is good fun for lovers of crime fiction. Deray makes it a hard-to-resist combination of an offbeat approach, some very amusing doses of comedy, interesting choices (the final gunfight takes place in a funeral home, where Victor has been embalmed in a sitting position), a fairly relaxed tone most of the time, and an unhurried pace. The funky score by Michel Legrand is a delight, as is the use of various L. A. locations.

Trintignant is very good in the lead, playing this "outsider" who's lost amidst Southern California culture of the period. Ann-Margret, looking very sexy in low-cut dresses, is enticing as his reluctant associate. Scheider is a hoot as the determined rival hitman. Georgia Engel ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show') is hilarious as a ditzy housewife. The eclectic supporting cast also includes the wonderful Angie Dickinson ("Big Bad Mama"), Felice Orlandi ("The Driver"), Carlo De Mejo ("The House by the Cemetery"), Michel Constantin ("Le Deuxieme Souffle"), Umberto Orsini ("Goodbye Emmanuelle"), Carmen Argenziano ("The Accused"), John Hillerman ("Blazing Saddles"), Jon Korkes ("Catch-22"), Playboy Playmate Connie Kreski ("The Black Bird"), Ben Piazza ("The Candy Snatchers"), Alex Rocco and Talia Shire from "The Godfather", and a very young Jackie Earle Haley ("Watchmen"), making his film debut.

Overall, this made for very agreeable entertainment; I didn't even really have a problem with the way it ended, although others may certainly feel differently.

Seven out of 10.

A French hitman, Jean Louis Trintigant, is hired to kill a Los Angeles mobster. After carrying out his assignment, the Frenchman becomes the hunted, with Detroit hitman, Roy Scheider relentlessly in pursuit. The cast is very game, and includes Ann Margaret, Angie Dickinson, Alex Rocco, and Talia Shire in a small role. Eventually things start to crystalize as to the "why", and the Frenchman begins to turn the tables. Jean Louis Trintigant takes some getting used to as the sort of anti hero. His performance is extremely low key, which tends to cause the story to lose momentum at times. Nevertheless, the unpredictable script, superb Los Angeles photography, and skilled acting keeps "The Outside Man" interesting. - MERK

The great chase on the VENICE AMUSEMENT PIER allows an old Santa Monica resident like myself to see the old pier before it was demolished. For years it sat, rusted, half standing due to fire and neglect. It was on the Santa Monica and venice border. It was broken into many times, as it was a good location to fish off of, or to go lurking, if one were into checking out what people enjoyed decades earlier. The Beach Boys played in the pink building you see in the film. The piers below, where you see Ann Margaret, you see those piers in THE DOORS video, THE UNKOWN SOLDIER. Also, this pier was used in the last episode of the 1960's TV action series, THE FUGITIVE. Richard Kimble tracked down and caught the 'one armed man' in that abandoned pier.

Being a native of Los Angeles, it's great a treat to see a overview of the city in 1973 supposedly from the plane to brings Trintignant. There are shots of "The Classic Cat", a club that no longer exists on Sunset Blvd. The chase scene filmed in Venice, CA, are also places that no longer exist as most of the development was still under construction. The music score is by Michel Legrand, whose "Umbrellas in Chernburg" is classic, here a little jarring, maybe intentional. Trintignant plays a hit man from France, who does commit cold blooded murder, so he's a bad guy. Roy Schneider, pre-Jaws, plays an even more gum chewing, sadistic killer after Trintignant.

Ann Magret, at this time, was having a difficult time having just recently lost her father in real life. She plays her part well, but it is unclear why her charactor would go out on a limb for Jean-Louis T., as his charactor treats her with sheer indifference. Angie Dickerson is a 70's babe that gives A.M. competition in the eye candy department.

The shoot out scene at the end of the movieis quite weird, the corpse in the funeral parlor displayed in a sitting position with cigar in hand and Trintigant's cohort being dragged by a hearse through the graveyard.

A 3 out of 5.

Very low key actioner with sprinkles of offbeat humor. French hit man does a job only to find the roles are reversed and he is now the target of another hit man. Trintignant is well cast as a man not only confused with his unusual predicament, but also with southern California culture. There's been many, many films done in Los Angeles, but the excellent location shooting seems to show you a whole new city. Although the film stays very true to it's unique form the downbeat ending could've and should've been avoided. Georgia Engle is a delight as a dumb housewife.