Dois Homens Contra uma Cidade

Although "le Rapace" , "Dernier domicile Connu" and even " la Loi du Survivant" are certainly superior to "deux Hommes dans la Ville" ,the latter is Giovanni's definitive statement against death penalty.He and André Cayatte were the two French directors who really fought during their careers and their films certainly contributed to its abolishment in 1981.Giovanni would come back to his favourite subject with "comme un Boomerang" and" une Robe Noire pour un Tueur",but those were much weaker efforts.And his final work "Mon père" is not devoid of leniency.

"Deux Hommes dans la Ville "is A WINNER.First thing to bear in mind is that ,at its time of release,French critics were chilly ,they sneered when they saw Michel Bouquet 's cop character.They had probably forgotten "Les misérables" ,Javert and Jean Valjean.Giovanni's cop is not implausible and Bouquet's sly face is ideal.

By and large,the cast is dazzling:we find an actor from the heyday of the French cinema ,Gabin,(Delon's fate recalls some parts of young Gabin "le jour se lève" and "Quai des Brumes"),then from the second generation (Delon) and even the third one is represented with Gerard Depardieu and Bernard Giraudeau -whose part is certainly the weakest of the script:the post-68 student ,we have seen this character too many times- Supporting cast also includes Victor Lanoux and Malka Ribowska ,as a convincing lawyer who is Giovanni's spokesman(woman!)when she expresses her horror of this "razor" (guillotine)which reduces France to the level of the under developed countries.

Gino (Delon) paid for what he'd done.He deserved a chance to pick up the pieces.His awakening,on THE fatal morning,is absolutely terrifying.

Directed and written by Corsican José Giovanni, produced by Alain Delon, who stars in the film in partnership with veteran Jean Gabin, this is certainly a different film from the French-Italian cop movies of the 60s and 70s, many of them with the same protagonists.

Here we have a regenerated ex-convict struggling to integrate into society and a police and judicial system that cannot forgive and reintegrate those who have already paid for their mistakes and truly want to turn a page in their lives.

A film that exposes the weaknesses of the French penal and judicial system while condemning the maintenance of the death penalty in modern France in 1973.

It represents the ash after its final credits. last meet between Gabin and Delon on screen, it is a film inspiring, for an old man like me, nostalgia. because it seems a puzzle with familiar pieces. simple. but seductive. dramatic. for the nuances. a story about second chance, justice and sins. one of films for a precise target. because it is one of keys to an universe of cinema who seems, for many reasons, lost today.

Exceptionally realistic and brooding film in which Jean Gabin as an honorable social worker is awesome , as well as Delon playing a paroled delinquent . It is an above average flick with thoughtful events and top-drawer perforances. So Alain Delon as a cold and two-fisted ex-delinquent is top notch and Jean Gavin as a serious and clever social worker is magnificent . It deals with Gino (Alain Delon) , a previous bank robber who's released after 10 years in prison thanks to advises from a social worker called Germain Cazeneuve (Jean Gabin) . Gino's determined to go straight, gets a steady job and returns with his wife Sophie Strabliggi (Ilaria Occhini). Unaware that it is only a matter of time before he's forced to confront destiny. As soon as a stubborn , rude police inspector Goitreau (Michel Bouquet) from his past to be aware his freedom , he goes after him . Meantime, his old partners-in-crime (Victor Lanoux, Gerard Depardieu..) also begging him to pick up where they left off long time ago . Along the way , Gino is relentlessly pursued and harassed by the obstinate inspector and eventually Gino seeks vengeance .

Classic French Polar film with two greatest stars of the seventies dealing with an account of the influence and support of a social worker on a paroled ex-inmate . This is a suspense ¨Polar¨ or French Noir film in which tesion , drama , intrigue and thriller are continuous . From the beginning to the end it turns out to be interestibg , dramatic and suspenseful , including well developing of interesting characters , and that's why it is entertaining . The movie has great loads of emotion , dark-edged drama , tension and intriguing events . Exciting and thought-provoking screenplay by director Jose Giovanni himself , in fact he film was part of a campaign against death penalty (by means of guillotine , the ordinary tool used for carrying out the execution) in France that took place in the 1970's that was eventually abolished in France in 1981. Concerning a character studio about unsettling roles damned to inevitable tragedies , a powerful finale , as well as stylized set pieces heightens the suspense and tension having place in all Jose Giovanni's film-making . One of his favourite actors was Alain Delon , whom Jose directed many times . Actors' interpretation is excellent as Jean Gavin playing a warm and compassionate social worker . And Alain Delon as a serious as well as tough ex-delinquent , former safe-cracker with dark past is magnificent .This is the best of Giovanni 's thrillers with Alain Delon as the expressionless delinquent . Delon's most successful film was ¨Le Samouraï ¨, Delon has striven in vain to repeat this success in numerous subsequent movies at the same genre , similar others known actors as Lino Ventura , Jean Paul Belmondo and generally directed by Henri Verneuil , Jose Giovanni and Jacques Deray . Delon went on to appear with Gabin in several of the star's subsequent movies , often playing a gangster , including the classic ¨The Clan of Sicilians" , and going on the criminal genre with Jean Gabin in "The Big Snatch" (1963) , this work, a classic example of the genre, was distinguished not only by a soundly worked-out screenplay, but also by the careful production and the awesome performances of both Delon and Gabin. It was only in the late 1960s that the sleek and lethal Delon came to epitomize the calm, psychopathic hoodlum, staring into the camera like a cat assessing a mouse. Support cast is pretty good , such as : Mimsy Farmer, Victor Lanoux, Ilaria Occhini , Bernard Giradeau , Guido Alberti , Christine Fabréga and brief apperance of a young Gérard Depardieu. Special mention for Michael Bouquet as the malevolent , stubborn Police Inspector Goitreau .

Evocative and atmospheric cinematography by Jean-Jacques Tarbès is simply riveting . Adding enjoyable musical score by Philippe Sarde, it's sensitive and agreeable , including a feeling leitmotif . The motion picture was well produced by Pierre Caro, André Mucchielli and Alain Delon himself. Being compellingly written/directed by Jose Giovanni , making a memorable work , though sometimes results to be slow-moving . Giovanni participated in the French Resistance during World War II . Worked as a lumberjack , diver , mountain guide and coal miner . Jose wrote 20 novels, 2 memories' books , 33 scripts , and directed 15 movies and 5 TV movies . His novel, "Le Trou," ("The hole", slang for prison) , which became a classic film , was based on his own escape attempt from a Paris prison . Director Jacques Becker bought the rights of the book and directed it in 1959 , considered to be the best prison movie . That's how José Giovanni entered the cinema world . He became a well-known dialoguist , scenarist too, working many times with Jacques Becker . Then he directed his first movie in 1966 , "La Loi Des Survivants" , while he was still writing novels about gangsters , cops , prison and manly friendship . He was a purveyor of a certain kind of noir movie , creating his own company and a tiny studio . Some of his films , many are based from his own novels , include Le Rapace (1968), La Scoumoune (1972) , The gypsy (1975) , Boomerang (1976) , and Le Ruffian (1983). Giovanni directed some great French actors as Alain Delon , Jean Gabin , Jean-Paul Belmondo , and , of course , Lino Ventura .

Germaine Cazeneuve (Jean Gabin) is an educator of delinquents and state prisoners, his job is to help them reform and adjust to a new life outside of prison. He pleads for leniency in the case of safe cracker Gino Strabliggi (Alain Delon) who is up for parole after 10 years inside, against their better judgement the parole board agrees to Cazeneuve's request on condition that he takes responsibility for Strabliggi. Gino, as an ex con, is forced by French law to take residence anywhere but in a city and so he settles with his young wife in the country, where fate turns against him, as first his wife is killed, then he is hounded by his former crime gang to return to his former lifestyle and also one of the arresting officers from his case years previously, the now chief inspector Goitreau is in charge of the area and has a grudge against him and becomes even more suspicious when he finds out Gino's new girlfriend Lucie is working in the local bank With the help of his now good friend Cazeuenve and his new girlfriend Lucie (Mimsy Farmer) he tries to battle his demons and fight against the troublesome cop.

Jose Giovanni (born Joseph Damiani) is perhaps best known as a writer of some renown in France, in films like Melvilles Le Deuxième soufflé, and Classe tous risques (1960) his writings usually centering on crime, an area he knew only too well, as he was on death row in France from 1948-1956 before gaining a Presidential pardon. While inside he penned the script for Le Trou, French slang for prison literally meaning "The Hole", a script that would gain him one of his first steps into the film industry, when it was filmed by Jacques Becker, who turned out one of the best prison films ever made. Deux hommes dans la ville is a film that was obviously close to his heart as it doesn't reveal its true motives until the end, where we are treated to an emotional climax on death row, with the usual last minute wait on a pardon. The film itself is an excellent character study, made all the better by two fine performances by the Gabin and Delon. Gabin giving us a truly world weary performance, his voice-over at times heartbreaking, as he comes to terms with the injustices he encounters on a daily basis. Delon portrays the truly reformed character Gino, struggling against the injustice of a criminal and legal system that still lives in the dark ages with a deliciously watchable class. The film struggles at times, especially early on to keep cohesion, Giovanni seemingly trying to fit to many characters and too much plot into a short time span, its almost like this film should have had a running time of 4 hours and he struggled to leave out areas that were obviously dear to his heart. Still though it's a classy film, beautifully filmed and with a truly epic and emotive score by Philippe Sarde. Giallo queen Farmer is also pretty good and there a very charismatic cameo from Gerard Depardieu as a cocky young criminal, who's not that impressed by Gino's past glories.