Arguably a lesser work in Robert Guédiguian 's oeuvre,one of the most interesting directors of the contemporary French cinema ; not to be mentioned among his greatest works,such movies as "les neiges du Kilimandjaro" "à la place du coeur" " une histoire de fous" or "voyage en Arménie , "à l'attaque" displays his strong social concern :he's not a champagne socialist ,he's a humanist ,demanding a square deal for the underprivileged ,the underdogs of the society.
But for the cine buff ,there is another aspect not to be neglected: Guédiguian certainly loves Julien Duvivier whose dyptich "sous le ciel de Paris" (1951) and "la fête à Henriette" (1952) pushed the envelope in the fifties French cinema ; "la ville est tranquille " ,with all these characters whose fates were intertwined:what Duvivier did for Paris in 1951, Guédiguian did it for Marseille.
Duvivier's and collaborator Jeanson's influences are so glaring in "à l'attaque" that it's a bit disappointing that the director did not mention these past masters in the "special thanks "of the final cast and credits ; the initial situation is directly borrowed from "la fête à Henriette" ,and Duvivier did that half a century before him !two screenwriters bickering , who do not always agree, the spoof on another director (Carné's "les portes de la nuit" for Duvivier and Demy's musicals for Guédiguian in the scene in the modern brothel ) , the movie in progress; Duvivier's film influence made its influence felt even in America ("Paris when it sizzles" by Richard Quine was a remake,and "Alex and Emma" ,another one in disguise ).
That said, there are good moments to be enjoyed in "à l'attaque ",and it's a pleasure to meet again Guédiguian 's team :his partner ,Ariane A. , true to form ;and Podalydès as the screenwriter and Darroussin as one of his characters ,it's a treat for fans for both actors.
One line is the key to the movie :a woman from the people would not say "an erotic friendship" ,the educated (and privileged) screenwriter says and there's the rub: too many lines revolve around sex, with four-letter words galore , and Guédiguian ,whose forte is finesse (see his depiction of the working class in "les neiges du Kilimandjaro") , does not avoid crudeness and vulgarity here;like "la fête à Henriette" , it is in turn comedy (but often heavy-handed) or drama (with a Robin Hood side: the intrusion at night when the executive officer is sleeping in his silken sheets ); the story is muddled ,but after all,it's only a draft ;the actors ,fortunately , are all excellent .Dig the lines of the youngster who knows better in law than their persecutors ,without having entered a college.
