Marcel L’Herbier’s L’Argent is now universally regarded as one of the true great
masterpieces of the silent era of film, although this has not always been the case... [More...]
Volga en flames is a fairly respectable adaptation
of one of the greatest works in Russian literature, Aleksandr Pushkin’s “The Captain’s
Daughter”... [More...]
A stylish melange of fairy tale, romance, melodrama and suspense thriller, L’Assassinat
du Père Noël is typical of French cinema of the early 1940s... [More...]
Jacques Becker’s first film is a rather obvious attempt to emulate the American gangster
movie / film noir genre. It is, for all that, an impressive début for the
man who is most often credited for popularising... [More...]
Aventure est au coin de la rue is a spirited comedy which attempts to blend gangster
thriller and drawing room farce, with some success. Claude Renoir’s photography
gives the film a touch of classic film noir which... [More...]
This film is a magnificent sortie for director Jacques Becker into the world of high fashion,
in Paris, the centre of the universe of haute couture... [More...]
Although this film now feels very dated and just a tad ridiculous (almost the parody of
a French bedroom farce), it was hugely popular when it was first released in France... [More...]
Despite its – ostensibly – impressive cast and substantial budget, this film singularly
fails to do any justice whatsoever to the great historical figure it portrays... [More...]
One of the most memorable of Jean-Pierre Mocky’s anarchic film comedies, La
Grande frousse benefits from an exceptional "big name" cast, which is headed by
Bourvil... [More...]
