Bob le Flambeur - Criterion Collection
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Movie Reviews of Bob le Flambeur - Criterion Collection
Movie Review: COMEDY OF MANNERS AND MENACE
Summary: 4 Stars
Essentially a comedy of manners with menace, "Bob the Gambler" or "BOB LE FLAMBEUR" is a great caper film that also heralded the coming French New Wave. The electric, slang-filled French dialogue written by Auguste le Briton ("Rififi") has a rhythm and snap that is nicely mirrored in the cool, slick, sometimes sinister unfolding of the story itself. Unfortunately, the dialogue suffers a little in the not quite spot on English subtitles.
Director Jean-Pierre Melville pretty much invented the French crime film. After World War II Melville (real last name Grumbach), made films on a shoestring, on location and without stars. He was alone among all French filmmakers who made pictures entirely on his terms. This 1955 film, with a budget about ten times bigger than a typical French film of its time, is also a loving portrait of Paris and an homage to the noirish American films of the 40s and early 50s. Especially John Huston's "Asphalt Jungle."
Roger Duchesne is Bob, a courtly gangster with a natty style not unlike the late mobster kingpin Gotti, who plans on robbing the Deauville casino. But the film is not so much about the details of Bob's one last heist as it is about playing with the genre itself. Bob is a dark knight with a code of loyalty that conflicts with the amorality of his profession just as the filmmaker Melville toys with the makings of a new film tradition. A terrific film that beats the old and new versions of "Ocean's Eleven."
This new digital transfer, like all Criterion discs, is superb. Extras include an interview with Daniel Cauchy ("Paulo") and a radio interview with director Melville, who was so enamored of American culture that he took the last name of Moby Dick's author.
Movie Review: The Old Man's Cool . . .
Summary: 4 Stars
He's vain and he's broke but he looks out for his friends.Yep. It's French film noir yet the protagonist is involved rather than existentially detatched. He's (gasp!) likeable.
Which is why the young hood imitates him---they tease him by calling him 'Bob' too---and the cops respect him. Besides he's too busy scraping together gambling money to affect a tough guy persona. He's cool without trying.
This one's a gem of stylized realism. Gritty without being grimy. The denizens of Montmatre that inhabit Melville's film may be sewer rats but they behave with panache. They are losers but never bitter. The most hardened yet romantic bunch of bad guys you're ever likely to encounter.
The one sour note is what time has done to this film. It has copied it endlessly. Do not be surprised if you feel deja vu when watching it for the first time. It's hard to name all the other flicks have ripped off bits and pieces of the plot throughout the years.
What is that saying about the sincerest form of flattery?
Movie Review: The Essence of Cool Gangster
Summary: 5 Stars
In P.T. Anderson's commentary for HARD EIGHT, he talks about how this film was a big influence and that he probably owes Melville some money. I'd have to agree. Regardless, this film(and Melville's other films) are just so damn cool I can't blame P.T. This is a very interesting take on a gangster film. Apparently, Melville changed it from more of a heist-focused movie once he saw ASPHLT JUNGLE(Melville had been working on it when John Huston's film came out). Bob is a great character and this is a great dvd! Thanks Criterion(now bring out LE DOULOS andI'll be really happy!)!Movie Review: Did you used to love movies?
Summary: 5 Stars
Stay cool is still the main rule.Bob is cool like Serge Gainsbourg is cool.
Like Mitchum.
Like Bogart.
In fact it's a tragedy that Melville never got to make a picture with Mitchum.
Bob is who Johnny Depp might get to be when he grows up.
Jean-Pierre Melville is the director that the video store clerk aka Q Tarantino has ripped off more times than you have fingers and toes. Camus and Chandler with a camera.
Beautifully shot by Henri Decae (not sure on the spelling)whom Wenders hunted down to shoot Wings of Desire.
Melville will make you forget everytime Hollywood has broken your movie-loving heart(and taken your...bucks).
What could be better than that?
Movie Review: Bob's the name; flambeuring's the game
Summary: 5 Stars
After watching Bob le Flambeur, everything else is a disappointment. The actors are so gripping, the cinematograpy and editing are handled so brilliantly, it makes one wish all films were as good as this. Gritty, realistic, romantic, poetic...all these things don't even begin to sum up the genius of Melville's masterpiece. Roger Duchesne as Bob le Flambeur is one of the coolest creations in movie history. You'll love this guy...he's a true 'knight errant' as the offical review says.The only complaint I do have is not about the film itself but the subtitles. Whoever did them needs to study their French...I speak both languages and I can tell you the translation is terrible! It doesn't begin to capture the irony or the cool nonchalance of the language- the summing up in simplistic English makes the film seem almost boring. I probably wouldn't have liked it half as much if the subtitles were all I had to go by. Somebody fix this monstrosity!