Marseille contrat

As a fan of Micheal Caine and of action thrillers from the seventies I was looking forward to watching this film. I'd listened to the wickedly funky soundtrack by Roy "Get Carter" Budd, and spent a while tracking down a copy of the film on VHS.

Firstly i'll deal with the good points. Marseille is a good location to film a thriller, think of French Connection 2 for example, and it is well used. I'm in love with the Citroen DS, especially in black, so I was pleased to see them used throughout the film. There's a playful "cat and mouse" car scene, which was later copied in a more OTT style by John Woo in MI:2! There are a few interesting killings. Caine looks very seventies cool.

Now for the not so good points. Budds soundtrack although is efficient, it is too efficient for my liking, i'd like to hear more of it in the film. The music never really gets going. There are a couple more chase scenes thrown in for good measure, but they are boring. The acting is very very average, as is the film.

In my opinion I think that the director should have made a decision to go with either A) A gritty, hard hitting thriller. Or B) A more tongue in cheek, stylish caper movie. This film has both qualities at certain points within the movie, but it doesn't have the mix right. This is a shame because it could have been much better, perhaps a bigger budget was needed, who knows.

So to sum up, if Michael Caine in various seventies fashions such as roll neck sweaters, giant aviator sunglasses, a smoking jacket with cravat and the odd kipper tie floats your boat, this is the move for you!

Three great actors and a well paced film and what more can you ask for !!! Underrated film and a good story and nice locations Worth watching

I'll start by saying this is not a good film. This was probably good enough for audiences in the 1970s but it really creaks along today. The acting is often wooden. The cinematography makes poor use of the south of France location. James Mason makes no attempt to be play a French gangster and reverts to his usual film persona - he doesn't even bother with an accent. Antony Quinn is great though, particularly with the material he has to work with. His rage in the scene at the after work poker game is electric. The plot has holes but at least it sort of makes sense in the end. Overall it seems a waste of the talent in this film and the stunning locations. Having said all that I secretly enjoyed it.

All I knew was the cast of The Destructors before I started watching it. How could a film starring Michael Caine, Anthony Quinn, and James Mason be bad? Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. It's an extremely entertaining movie with three powerhouse actors making the most of their roles.

The start of the film shows Anthony Quinn and his lover Alexandra Stewart getting dressed after a liaison. They seem to have a loving chemistry together, but then she mentions having to go home and relieve the babysitter—she's married. It's a perfect warning for the audience because nothing's as it seems throughout the film. Tony is a policeman, and he's continually frustrated by a drug lord's escaping the legal system. Not only does the villain peddle massive amounts of drugs in and out of the country, but he and his henchman murder without any provable trace that they're responsible. Tony's fed up and decides to take matters into his own hands by hiring a hit-man.

Even more than I love the performances of the three leads—which are very good—I love Judd Bernard's screenplay. He introduces each character with a uniquely interesting scene that helps the audience gain an accurate picture. There are so many scenes I'd love to describe in hopes of getting you hooked on the premise, from the meaningful, tension-filled scenes between Tony and Alexandra to the introduction of Tony to Michael Caine—it's natural yet nerve-wracking. Both Tony and Michael are particularly yummy in this film, if you happen to think either of them is handsome like I do. James Mason has a few miles on him, but he's classy and almost regal-looking, and his sensitive expressions outweigh any bad behavior he might be getting into. If you like any of the three actors, European-styled films, thrillers with bad boys, or want to see the famous ten-minute car chase seduction that so many films have subsequently copied, rent The Destructors for a very fun weekend movie night.

I am wary when a film's writer is also its main producer, or vice versa. Either we are in the presence of greatness, or ... not. Here, not. Judd Bernard has done a decent job as a producer, and a good one as the writer of the story, but he should have left the screenplay and dialogue to someone else. The Marseille Contract (aka The Destructors) from 1974 has an unfortunate pedestrian tone to the writing. But it's a decent thriller, worth a watch. The location shooting in Paris and Marseille creates a great 1970s vibe, and the story is full of tension. Anthony Quinn's acting here was terrific. Michael Caine is a pleasure to watch, but he seemed to be in remote control. James Mason was miscast as the French drug king, but it's always a pleasure to watch him anyway. The two car chase scenes are great. Many people have criticized the film as a blatant rip off of The French Connection, and of course that came to my mind very early in the film. But I don't mind them copying that film so much as I wish they had just made this one a bit better.