L'ours en peluche

Let me explain. This is not a bad movie, the atmosphere is pretty effective, in the George Simenon's style, but the duo Jacques Deray-Alain Delon has always used us to something far different; not better - what's better, after all?- but different. Deray-Delon means FLIC STORY, BORSALINO ONE and TWO, LE GANG, TROIS HOMMES A ABATTRE. So, you see, nothing to do with this movie. That's why I can understand that many viewers are deceived. But, if you watch this movie with a factual point of view - a very few actually do it - this is a good thriller drama, with a very unexpected and moral less ending.

Alain Delon is the rich, respected professor/obstetrician (I had to look that up!) who appears to have everything (wife, daughter, professional success AND a mistress), but whose life begins to fall apart when he receives an anonymous phone call by a man who says he is "guilty" and threatens to kill him. Following the "clues" that the caller leaves for him, Delon tries to find out what he is accused of.

Actually, "Teddy Bear" is not as interesting as that description makes it sound. The mystery is revealed halfway through, and there isn't much suspense, either. In many scenes, the rich music score provides the only drama. Delon fans will be interested in seeing their idol in this more mature phase of his career, but Deray's clinical, dehydrated directorial style doesn't do much to get us involved. And of course, this being a French movie, it's talky (though Delon remains relatively silent and lets the others do most of the talking).

On the other hand, this being a French movie, it dares to end in an amoral, un-Hollywood-ish way. I didn't see the ending coming, and you probably won't, either. It's good enough to push the rating of this movie from ** to **1/2 out of 4.