Deciding to order Christian-Jaque's superb Sortilèges,I started looking at other titles from the seller.Getting to the end of the first page,I was delighted to spot an "arty" Film Noir,which led to me grabbing a pencil and ruler.
The plot:
Struggling to pay the bills,art dealer Marc Kelber can't believe his luck when amateur art collector Jacques Lacroix asks him to value a painting,which unknown to Lacroix is a Gauguin.After getting a second expert to confirm that it is a Gauguin,Kelber quickly borrows cash from everyone after Lacroix reveals that he and his wife are leaving town.Shortly after Lacroix disappears,Kelber discovers that Lacroix has switched paintings and has sold him a fake.Tracking down Lacroix,Kelber gets set to kill him,until he notices the impressive fakes that Lacroix has,which leads to Kelber deciding that they might be able to paint a con artist masterpiece.
View on the film:
Drilling Jean Yatove's thunderous score into the credits,co- writer/(along with René Wheeler) director Gilles Grangier and cinematographer Jacques Lemare superbly paint the explosive atmosphere on the screen,with the murky art underworld being splashed with oily colours which blend with the slippery nature of Kelber and Lacroix.Taking inspiration from the setting, Grangier gives the movie an artful Film Noir quality,as tightly coiled,lingering shoots allow the viewer to make their own impression of the next brush stroke,which is broken by the acid darkness Kelber and Lacroix spray over their works.
Painting from Michel Lenoir's (who has "noir" in his name!) novel,the screenplay by Grangier & Wheeler push the pressure Kelber is under right to the front,by making Kelber's blue collar life be at odds with the life of luxury he desires. Tangling with Lacroix,the writers strike an excellent contrast with Kelber and Lacroix,by making Kelber's attempts to keep some level of empathy be eroded by the cool,icy Film Noir shards grinds onto the screen.
Whilst the guys do get most of the attention,a delicate Annie Girardot gives a great performance as Femme Fatale Viviane,whose quick-wits Girardot uses to reveal the corner the guys have painted themselves into.Joined by a brilliantly burnt-out Giani Esposito as Claude Watroff, Michel Auclair gives a jet-black performance as Jacques Lacroix,where every close shave Lacroix gets is avoided by Auclair coating him in a sophisticated charm,which keeps his deadly intent at bay.Making an uneasy team with Lacroix and Watroff, Paul Frankeur gives a fantastic performance as Marc Kelber,thanks to Frankeur making each of Kelber's sly smirks brush him closer to the Noir darkness.
