1 homme de trop (1967)

	Also Known As: Ein Mann zuviel
	Year of first release: 1967
	Director: Costa Gavras
	Actors: Michel Piccoli, Jean-Claude Brialy, Bruno Cremer, Gérard Blain
	Country: F, I
	Genre: Thriller, War
	Conditions of visioning: 19.03.2017, arte.tv, streaming
Synopsis: During WWII a group of the French resistance lead by Cazal (Cremer) attacks a prison and gets other resistants out. But there is one man more (Piccoli) than expected and that nobody knows. The tension rises in the group and especially between Passevin (Blain) and Jean (Brialy) as this extra guy could be a spy.
Review: The story is quite serious but Costa Gavras brings some humour with the role of Groubec played by Claude Brasseur. This war movie is focused on the resistance group and their daily life in which suspiscion toward unknown people is usual. Therefore we witness the prearation of the meals, the contact with the local people, the organisation of the actions. The stress, the tension, the suspiscion, the goodness, the casualness is very well transmitted by the whole acting and directing.  The role of Piccoli as full pacifist who do not even introduce himself as self-protection is quite complex and very well done. The internal struggle between Gérard Blain  and Jean-Claude Brialy is excellently acted. And the secondary roles are well done also. Really great job.  For a war movie, there are no much weapons and attacks apart from the starting scene and another one. It is not common and I liked also the way to focus on fighters during war without showing much fights and more the life besides the fight.
Rating: 7 /10

Le Pacha (1967)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 1967
	Director: Georges Lautner (Le Professionnel, Flic ou Voyou, Les Tontons Fligueurs)
	Actors: Jean Gabin (Le Cave se rebiffe, La Grande Illusion), Dany Carrel, Jean Gaven, André Pousse (La 7ème compagnie au clair de lune)
	Country: F, I
	Genre: Polar
	Conditions of visioning: 19.12.2016, 42" TV
Synopsis: After a large amount of diamonds is stolen, several gangsters die apparently from the hands of one of them, and Commissaire Joss (Gabin) starts investigating.
Review: As usual for the Christmas holidays I am eager to watch some French movies and I was glad to find out about this Georges Lautner double feature with Flic ou Voyou. Gabin was not that young anymore at the time so the role of a commissioner suits him well. It is great to see him entering the investigation, questioning his friend, getting more and more involved and finally changing his character to the point of devising a plan to have the gangsters exterminate one another. That was an excellent story-writing in the first place and Gabin (and the others) are excellent at giving life to it, and in brilliant color images. The point of view of Joss (a.k.a. The Pacha) is interesting and understandable: almost retired he is fed up with chasing always the same criminals that get away with light sentences. The complicity he has with his boss is also nicely shown, and is definitely at the opposite of how the Police is expected to behave nowadays. One additional element that plays a great role in the pleasure of watch Le Pacha is the soundtrack. Lautner has obviously understood the importance of it, and plays at repeating the same few note every time there is some suspense. That gets into your head. And after a while those few notes become the intro to Serge Gainsbourg's Requiem pour un Con, playing longer and longer until we meet the composer appearing as himself in the movie, leader of the band in which one gangster plays. I loved the meeting of Gabin and Gainsbourg, not interacting or exchanging a word in the movie, and you can see that moment in the picture below this post. A great Polar atmosphere in this old classic that must not be forgotten.
Rating: 8 /10

Branded to kill (1967)

	Also Known As: Korochi no rakuin
	Year of first release: 1967
	Director: Seijun Suzuki
	Actors: Jo Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Annu Mari
	Country: J
	Genre: Polar, Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 11.12.2015, DVD, Japanese version with German subtitles
Synopsis: A hit-man, Goro Hanada (Shishido), with a fetish for sniffing boiling rice, fumbles his latest job, putting him into conflict with his treacherous wife Mami (Ogawa), with a mysterious woman eager (Mari) for death and with the phantom-like hit-man known only as Number One.
Review: The story is full of suspense, especially the mystery of the "organisation". Unfortunately these contrast with moments full of boredom where nothing happens for minutes or where a scene with the typical Japanese woman screams is almost repeated. The different surprises on both professional and personal fronts for Goro are really funny and typical of the modern Japanese sense of humour. Completely crazy things done by the hero. The acting is fine even if the exageration of Mami's role makes it quite heavy. Even for the boring scenes the directing and the camera driving is good.
Rating: 5 /10