Book review - "Chasing the Panther: Adventures and Misadventures of a Cinematic Life" by Carolyn Pfeiffer

 I read this because I was keen to read about Pfeiffer's adventures as a producer in the 80s with Alan Rudolph, Chris Blackwell, Shep Gordon etc but there is very little of that. This memoir is mostly about her time in Europe in the 60s - as a student, then working in Italy as Claudie Cardinale's assistant, meeting people like Burt Lancaster, Visconti, Delon and Fellini, then working for Delon (being raped by one of Delon's dodgy bodyguards), then Omar Sharif as an assistant (shagging Robert Bolt), being friends with Nathalie Delon and Geraldine Chaplin, becoming a publicisit then eventually working for Shep Gordon, hanging with Robert Altman, dope with Blake Edwards. 

It's pretty interesting stuff - having Sean Connery put his hand on her leg while Diane Cilento was there, a fling with photographer Terence Donovan etc. There is heart break - a daughter (son of an affair with a married man) dies as a child, she finds true love with a journalist who dies of a heart attack. I wish there had been more on her work as producer. But I enjoyed the book.

 

Movie review - "Is Paris Burning" (1966) **1/2

 I think Paramount were hoping for their own version of The Longest Day, with this all star account of the liberation of Paris. Thing is, most of the stars were French, so the film was a hit in France but not America. Also, don't mean to be rude, but the battle wasn't that important militarility, more politically (hugely so) - and the film doesn't really go into that, the fact that France might've wound up in civil war. To be fair the film does allude to some of this  - there's no colonial troops though. Or British.

Still there are powerful scenes - the last train of prisoners being sent off to the camps, the massacre of young resistance workers, Orson Welles as the Swedish diplomat persuading Gert Forbe not to blow up the city. And many of the cast lived through the events so it has an authenticity that you just can't get now.

Kirk Douglas is Patton, Glenn Ford is Bradley, Anthony Perkins and George Chakiris are soldiers, Robert Stack is a general - but most of the stars are French: Leslie Caron, Jean Paul Belmondo, Simone Signoret, Bruno Cremer (a large role), Alain Delon, Charles Boyer, Michael Piccolo, etc.

Gore Vidal and Francis Coppola worked on the script. Vidal whined about it a lot.

Movie review - "Eyes without a Face" (1960) ***

 Didn't know much about this or French horror at all but it was a classy shocker, with some former A listers (Pierre Fresna and Alida Valli) and a good old fashioned junky plot (face's transplants). There's not much gore but when it's done it is effective. They might have had more spookiness and the police were very incompetent getting that girl to be decoy for a fan they suspected was a killer then believing his explanations.

Movie review - "The Defector" (1966) **

 Uninspired spy story about a physicist ordered over the Iron Curtain to retrieve a Thing. Scenes are awkwardly staged (Raoul Levy was a good producer but I don't think much of a director). Dialogue is clunky. The cinematography, normally a highlight of 60s spy films, is washed out and poor.

The main point of distinction is Montgomery Clift. This was his last film. He looks unwell but that adds to the film - his once handsome face all scarred, the hair seems phony, the nose hooked, the lips have cracked.

The supporting cast is of interest and includes Roddy McDowall (as a CIA man!), and Hardy Kruger (as a commie agent).

It's so unexciting and dull. It really needed some decent action helmer, as Variety would say.

Movie review - "Rapture" (1965) ** (warning: spoilers)

 Odd film. It's head scratching why Fox made it. I know Zanuck was on a French kick but still... Maybe he liked the idea of Patricia Gozzi having a crush on runaway crook Dean Stockwell. Rozzi is barely legal - actually I don't think she is legal. I think she was 14 when she made this and she gets into bed with Stockwell for the third act.

I wasn't sure if she was meant to be insane but I think it was reality. I mean here is a girl who makes a scarecrow and thinks Stockwell is the scarecrow. Was he into her or not? I wasn't sure.

Melvyn Douglas isn't that French as her dad but he's fine - just old to have a 14 year old daughter.  Gunnel Lindblom is Gozzi's hot nanny.

John Guillermin directed this. He throws in atmosphere, moves the camera, does a good job. He doesn't get the DNA of the film - presuming that was possible.

It might have been better had they made this a more conventional thriller - girl in love with man on the run. But it's unclear abuot the other character's motivations.

I didn't mind this for a while but eventually got sick of it.

Movie review - "The 317th Platoon" (1965) ****

Excellent French war film shot like a newsreel done with matter of fact-ness telling the story of a patrol in an outpost around the time of Dien Bien Phu. They run into Viet Minh, clash, clash again, come across a village, fight again. There's three main characters - the second lieutenant, warrant officer and sergeant. Not all of them survive - neither do the Laotian troops they command.

Surely an influence of Saving Private Ryan. The one member of the cast I recognised was the steely eyed Bruno Cremer who was in Sorcerer.

It doesn't judge the characters. There is matter of fact swearing, referring to locals as "gooks" and assuming the village girl gives good head. It doesn't have a typical dramatic build and none of the non white characters get that much of a look in. But a striking movie, well worth seeing.

Movie review - "The Upper Hand" (1967) ** aka "Du rififi à Paname"

Jean Gabin being old, honourable and ruthless as a gangster - well, a smuggler. He does his Gabin thing - friendships with old timers (Gert Frobe), rivalry with newer gangsters who aint got no respect, mentoring a young thing who betrays him.

The "hero" is an American undercover agent played by a Mexican actor, Claudio Brook - but the film's heart is with Gabin, I dont think it likes sneaks. Some action, a funky opening credits, the influence of Bond films is felt (a bit of globe trotting including scenes in Tokyo, sexy dames, some topless women in a bar.

George Raft has a small role (though billed second) as a mafia guy - his scenes with Gabin are a lot of fun and I wish his part had been bigger. The best scene is Frobe's death scene - Frobe is excellent. Mireille Darc is attractive as the blonde. Enjoyable colour. Its not amazing but it's not bad.

Movie review - "Joy House" (1964) ***

Not highly acclaimed critically and probably could have been done in colour but I liked it. It was an MGM shot in French in France with French stars but also two American stars. 

Alain Delon is perfectly cast as the lover of a gangster's wife who just escapes said gangster's hoons and winds up seeking refuge in the house of wealthy Lola Albright and her niece Jane Fonda. Albright has a lover shoved in the attic years before Parasite.

Fonda is seriously hot in this movie - she's beautifully shot and is alive and full of energy. The role might have been more effective if played by someone more plain - who would want control over Delon. I mean seriously how hard is it for Fonda to trap Delon?

Delon was peak pretty at this stage too which suits the role and Lola Albright isn't too shabby either. They have some hot sex. Gangsters come after her.

They could have done more with the cuckolded gangster and the lover in the attic but it was sexy and atmospheric, beautifully shot, with a Lalo Schifrin score. It got hostile views I don't know why.

Movie review - "Pierrot Le Fou" (1965) ***

Jean Luc Godard is reunited with Jean Paul Belmondo who plays a man who runs off with Ana Karina and they are chased by some gangster types.

Interesting credits, lush score, talk of Johnny Guitar, Sam Fuller makes a cameo to talk about cinema ("A film is like a battle ground - love, hate, action, violence, death. In one word - emotion"), satire of commercialism (ditzes talking about hair and Alfa Romeos), a beautiful love object to rejuvenate a married man, women singing randomly, dance numbers, splatterings of violence, kabuki theatre, yellow face, torture, death.

It is bright and colourful and Karina is charming - Godard clearly adores her. Belmondo is miscast to play a married office worker but he's always entertaining to see - Godard used stars well however Marxist he was. I enjoyed the playfulness of this time. It's a young man having fun.

Movie review - "The Sicilian Clan" (1969) ***

A French crime film aimed at the big time by featuring not one not two but three big stars associated with that genre: Jean Gabin, Alain Delon and Lino Ventura.

It's a film of set pieces - Delon escapes from prison with the help of the mafia, Delon escapes from the cops from a hooker's bedroom (topless moment - there's a bit of nudity in this movie), Delon watches Irina Demick bathe nude on the beach (a hot scene - they go for it), a hijacking of a plane, the final confrontation with a dame and a bag of cash.

It's not really an epic - it could have been an epic but doesn't explore the relationships between the characters to any great degree. Gabin has all these sons who are just ciphers, and their wives are just wives except Demick who is an outside (French in a Sicilian family). There's no real relationship between Gabin and Delon - some father-son stuff (like Gabin preferred Delon to Demick's whimpy husband or something) would have worked wonders.

The actors mostly stand around and look cool. Since they are cool that's actually fine for the most part. Ventura doesn't get to do much except glower and slap around some crims. He has a scene with Delon's sister that I thought was going to lead to romance - it should have, would have given him more to do.

It's an enjoyable programmer - I liked its style and what not - but there's not a lot of meat on the bones.

Movie review - "Les Doulos" (1962) *** (warning: spoilers)

Jean Pierre Melville crime film about a crook who gets out of prison, and is about to go back into crime. You think the film is going to be about this guy, Serge Reggiani (presumably they couldn't get/afford Jean Gabin or Lino Ventura) but then it becomes more about his fellow crook Jean Paul Belmondo, who works for the police.

There's a lot of plot going on - twists and turns and what not. I lost track of what was happening several times and had to keep double checking the synopsis. Belmondo seems to be an informer but is actually keen to get out of the life. It comes together quite satisfactorily at the end (a rainy, windswept shootout) but was a bit of a slog until then. Lots of talk and I had trouble telling people apart.

Quite a racy sex scene with Belmondo and his topless ex. Like so many French gangster films though it's clearly the guys who want to go off with each other - Belmono and Reggiani. That's why they both end up dead.

Movie review - "Purple Noon" (1960) **** (warning: spoilers)

The film that made Alain Delon an international star and no wonder - his youthful beauty and charm are used to superb effect in this thriller. It's been a while since I saw The Talented Mr Ripley but from memory this version is much better - less fat on it, more confident. Delon is more animated and better than Matt Damon.

Maurice Roget is extremey good too and Marie Laforet is stunning. There's some visually fantastic scenes like Delon and Roget on the yacht, particular Delon when the water is choppy.

There's plenty of twists, near misses, excellent locations and decadent atmosphere. I didn't mind that Delon got caught at the end, that was fine. He'll figure out a way to get out of it.

Aside - many French movies show the police to be very efficient. That's the case here.

Movie review - "Up to His Ears" (1965) **1/2

This was so frustrating because so much was good about it - fantastic locations, colour, action, stunts, plus Jean Paul Belmondo having a great time, ditto Ursula Andress. They make a great on screen couple. The action gets particularly good once she joins him on his adventures.

But it's a dumb story. That Man from Rio was simple, and clear - girl's father goes missing, boyfriend helps out. Sympathetic protagonist, strong stakes, clear goal. This is a mess - Belmondo is a a millionaire who is bored so tries to kill himself but fails - he arranges for someone to kill him then changes his mind.

I'm not a big fan of this over used plot, especially not here - who cares about a bored millionaire? They just should have had his relatives try to kill him.

Andress is stunning and good fun. Belmondo too. The support cast all go for it.

This is set in the present day but at times feels like it's the 19th century. It's so frustrating because so much of this is good.

Movie review - "Le Samourai" (1967) ***1/2

Famous action film which I've wanted to see for a while because it was so influential on the works of filmmakers like, notably Walter Hill and Michael Mann. You can see it all over this - the minimal dialogue, the wide framing, the taciturn hero.

I was surprised how much this seemed to borrow from This Gun for Hire - it's basically got the same plot: a hitman does an assassination, is chased by a cop, crosses with a girl, is double crossed by his bosses and goes looking for revenge.

The role of the girl is split between black Caty Rosier, a singer, and the seriously gorgeous Nathalie Delon. I feel this was a mistake and splits the film's focus.

The cops are very professional and solid.

I think I would have liked this more had it not been copied so much. Delon looks a little silly in his fedora and trenchcoat. It is a realised piece though - the whole film I mean.

Movie review - "The Southern Star" (1969) ***

I'd never heard of this film despite it starring a couple of my favourites, Ursula Andress and Orson Welles. It's the sort of movie I'm surprised didn't play on TV more when I was growing up because it's a fun adventure film (presumably there was a rights issue).

It's also one of the very few English language movies to my knowledge that have been made in West Africa - in particular Senegal (which admittedly is a former French colony). The locations are consistently interesting. And the time period - 1912 - is novel.

The story is taken from a little know Jules Verne novel. It's adventure more than sci fi  - a diamond is discovered in Africa, and is stolen. George Segal, an adventurer who is engaged to the daughter (Andress) of the company boss (Harry Andrews) sets out looking for it along with the daughter with Ian Hendry in hot pursuit and Orson Welles as a neighbouring official making life difficult. Johnny Sekka is Segal's black friend who everyone thinks pinched the diamond.

Welles part isn't that big - I'm guessing they couldn't afford him for that long - but he makes an impact. Hendry is good fun.

Sega was a revelation - not so much his acting just seeing him in this sort of movie. He actually fits in well. Andress is great - she actually has a character to play, and goes along on the adventure. She fires guns, and helps save the day a few times. She has a nude swim - we see a bare bum which is a bit racy for what is basically a kids film.

I think the writers made a mistake by having Segal and Andress as a couple from the get go. Would have been better if they'd fallen in love during the course of the movie.

And of course the black African characters are pretty much backgrounded - though Sekka has a decent part.

Still the locations remain fresh, it has a decent tone. I'm surprised this isn't better known. Ideal kids film.

Movie review - "Diabolically Yours" (1967) ** (warning: spoilers)

The last film of Julien Duvivier, this was a flop despite the presence of Alain Delon and Santa Berger in the leads, and a decent idea: Delon wakes up with amnesia, with a lot of money and a hot wife and begins to suspect that he isn't who they say he is.

There's a few familiar tropes - urst with the wife, turbulent dreams, a dodgy butler. It isn't done particularly well. Delon and Berger look attractive; Berges always about to have a shower or getting a massage.

It lacks a bit of oomph and some decent twists. It's got the story elements of say something like Scent of Fear but none of the spookiness, psycho drama or "oh my god" moments. I have trouble remembering scenes from it and I saw it not that long ago.

Movie review - "Jeff" (1969) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

Alain Delon as a gangster, once more - not the title role though, oddly. He's part of a gang who commit a robbery; the leader disappears and most of the gang think the leader's done a runner but Delon (who kind of loves him in that French cinema way). They torture the leader's mistress, Mireille Darc (who Delon kind of loves in that French cinema way).

This isn't a great film but it's full of interesting moments: the crims setting around in a gym after the heist, gabbing away like they're in Reservoir Dogs; the death of a bee keeper; Delon being shot at the end. The direction is fresh; the supporting cast strong. Delon produced this.

Movie review - "The Black Tulip" (1964) ***1/2 (warning: spoilers)

Alain Delon tries his hand at swashbuckling, in this adaptation of an Alexandre Dumas novel which I've never read but apparently this isn't very faithful. It would seem to owe more to The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Prisoner of Zenda with Delon playing twin brothers, one a dashing freedom fighter who runs around the countryside robbing the rich in the name of the poor, the other a more quieter, nebbish type who takes over his brother's position when the cool brother is injured.

There's a good twist in that the quiet brother discovers the groovy brother actually doesn't care about the poor, he robs for kicks - he's like the villain in The Wicked Lady. He finds love in the comely shape of peasant Virni Lisi whose father is a revolutionary.

The other great twist is the bad brother is captured and gets hung... and actually dies. This was like The Corsican Brothers. But it gives the piece some emotional kick. (Even if the movie shies away from going into the emotional turmoil the surviving brother must feel).

There's plenty of banter, action and pleasing production design, though I feel it would be prettier had it been shot in France rather than Spain. Delon is handsome and charismatic and gives two distinctive performances - it's some of his best work. The support characters are fine: some rich aristocrats and comic revolutionaries.

Movie review - "Contempt" (1963) ** (aka Le Mepris)

Jean Luc Godard is given CinemaScope, colour and big stars - Jack Palance wasn't on the A list at this stage but he was a name and Brigitte Bardot was one of the biggest stars in the world. Not so big was Michel Piccoli, who pops up in all sorts of French movies. He's a writer hired by producer Palance to work on an adaptation of The Odyssey.

He's married to Bardot and the film tells the story of strains in their marriage. Not hard to see why - she's one of the hottest women of the planet and Piccoli is seriously out of her league. Instead of being grateful and taking what he can get, he whinges and worries. She runs off with Palance and both die in a car crash - because the bitch deserved it presumably, proving once again the Godard isn't that radical.

The music score is spectacular - one of the greatest I've ever heard, lush and moving. That carries the film for a long way.

There's an opening shot of Bardot lounging naked in the dark as Piccoli talks to her arse and she collapses out of a few towels. The colour is gorgeous as are the island locations. And Godard is always worth watching for directors because he jazzes things up. But it got on my nerves and dragged.

Movie review - "Spirits of the Dead" (1968) ***1/2

Anthology films were all the rage in Europe in the 1960s - they were reasonably popular in Hollywood too. Roger Corman had done an Edgar Allan Poe anthology, Tales of Terror - some enterprising producers had the idea of getting art house darlings to do one. This has Fellini, Vadim and Malle, not a bad line up (Orson Welles, Chabrol, Visconti and Bergman were also approached).

Vadim's segment is the campiest fun - Jane Fonda is a vixen who runs around her estate killing people, having orgies and seducing unwilling women as part of threesomes.  She falls in love with the boy next door... played by Peter Fonda! Which is a bit perverse, even for Vadim... but they don't kiss or anything he's not keen until so she accidentally kills him and then lives to regret it. Its all garish and not particularly well made but the Fondas make it fun (Jane really, that is - Peter is only in it briefly).

Malle's segment is much better directed, more serious. Alain Delon is very effective as a nasty piece of work (it's a shame Delon didn't play more villains, he suits them) who tackles his own conscience - manifested as an actual person. Brigitte Bardot is not convincing in a black wig and feels wasted but I enjoyed this bit - it's not as highly regarded, I'm not sure why.

Fellini's segment is superb. It's a sort of companion piece to La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2  with Terence Stamp, at the height of his sixties groovy-ness, playing a Shakesperean actor who is in Rome to make a Christian Western. He's hassled by various parties - the paps, director, interpreter, press, random women etc. Its done with flair and vivacity. The "horror" is more muted but Stamp hooning along the highway is genuinely scary - I wish Fellini had made a horror film or two.

A strong, entertaining film with gorgeous colour.