La bonne année

Former boxer Lino Ventura stars in this popular crime piece. But Claude Lelouche, the director of the hugely internationally successful romance Un Homme et Une Femme ensured that this too is a story of a man and a woman in which both Ventura and Francoise Fabian play their parts to perfection. Vive la Difference is the subtext of this film, and one marvels at the raw chemistry generated by the two stars. Lelouche can't help having a dig at smug left-bank intellectuals, but who can blame him for that? Nothing in this film is predictable, right to the very end. Why it seems to be unavailable in video is a mystery to me! See it!

This film was pretty good and it was nice to see older men in lead roles who are not particularly sexy. Our hero(?) is a sophisticated thief who has intricately planned, along with his friend, the theft of a famous jewel store. It reminded me of the movies Rafifi and Grand Slam, though this caper was performed by 2 instead of it being a larger group effort. Also, it differs in that it diverges into a romance that builds with a woman whose store is next to the jewelers. Although I liked this relationship part of the movie, the speed at which the woman fell for him and the depth of this love seemed rather unreal, but this is a small quibble for an otherwise excellent film.

Director Jacques Becker is credited with giving former wrestler Lino Ventura his break in films, for which we owe him a debt of thanks and here Ventura's co-star is Becker's widow Francoise Fabian.

Not only is this an expertly crafted 'heist' movie but also depicts an unlikely romance between polar opposites in the shape of a mucho macho, monogamous, uneducated crook and and an elegant, sexually liberated, cultured antique dealer. They are played to perfection by Ventura and Fabian whose chemistry is palpable. There are also humorous exchanges between Ventura and his loyal but rather dim-witted associate played by Charles Gérard.

Despite the customary pot pourri of styles employed by Claude Lelouch this is certainly one of his most accessible and entertaining films. It spans a period of seven years during most of which Ventura's character spends behind bars. There are flashbacks within flashbacks during one of which we are treated to scenes from this director's most popular film from the previous decade which could be seen as a comment on the changing social climate.

Pierre Uytterhoven has again collaborated on the script, Francis Lai once more provides the score whilst Lelouch himself operates the camera.

Lelouch has been unfairly labelled by many as a one-hit wonder which does him a great disservice and undervalues his creativity, imagination, technical skill and the freedom he gives his actors.

An homogenised Hollywood makeover with its obligatory 'feel good' factor came and went.

Lino Ventura shows here another of his talents, not necessarily the rough, tough virile man. He plays a gangster preparing a major jewellery store heist. A very brilliant and intelligent job. And besides this scheme, he falls in love with a woman who happens to work not far from his "target". Françoise Fabian is also at her best in this sensitive role; both her and Ventura are in a magic symphony, harmony, for the best pleasure of the audience. I have been surprised to get totally swallowed by this poignant crime flick. There was a remake in the eighties, with Peter Falk in Ventura's character, and directed by John Avildsen. Charles Gerard is also wonderful here, as Lino Ventura's sidekick.

As I say, just tonight I wondered to myself, if someone asked me what is my favourite film, it would be sooooo difficult, but whenever I think hard about films I've seen or even when I don't, for some reason, I always think of La Bonne Annee.

So I keyed it into IMDb right now.

I have absolutely no idea where I saw it or when, but it probably was in France in the 70s. And I've probably only seen it once, but I've never forgotten it.

I just thought it had everything about it that was good about French cinema or at least any cinema that wasn't Hollywood (and that's not a criticism of Hollywood, just a comment that French is different).

I haven't looked at the comments yet but I look forward to reading them, and in these days of being able to access, I really hope somehow to be able to see it again.

I sort of remember it was an older man involved. I was a young man when I saw it, and I'm an older man now, but I'm even more 'French' than I was then, having spent so much more time there, can speak the language pretty well, know all the best hotels in the south of France etc etc.

a la bonne annee! I'll come back with a comment if/when I get a copy.