An exciting mystery set in Nice directed with a lot of style by Philippe Labro. Jean-Louis Trintignant is a cop trying find a sniper that seems to be picking off people at random only to realize that everyone he comes into contact with ends up a victim. This hard boiled film is adapted from an Ed McBain story and so cleverly put together, it's impossible not to enjoy it. Trintignant is very stolid (almost humorless) and the supporting cast is terrific. Dominique Sanda is one victim's daughter and she seems to know more than she lets on. Sexy Carla Gravina is a call girl who obviously knows TOO MUCH. LOVE STORY author Erich Segal has a brief role as an astrologist. A great music score by Ennio Morricone.

I saw this for the first time recently aft reading a glowing review by Coventry.

Well, this movie is indeed a solid thriller with a good mystery.

The plot in short - A police detective investigates a series of unexplained killings of unconnected people by a mystery sniper. One of the victim is an ex girlfriend of the detective who tries very hard to find a missing link between all these murders. Though the detective have linked the victims to money laundering, narcotics and prostitution, nothing adds up to a motive for murdering them.

The movie has good locations n a decent musical score but the performances are top notch.

I like the short hair, slim babe, Carla Gravina.

Lemme check out more movies starring her.

... and his best.All that he made afterward can easily be dismissed as rubbish.A journalist -he also wrote words for some songs- he dreamed of the American cinema because he spent some of his youth on the other side of the pond.

Actually,we're closer to Agatha Christie's whodunit than to American film noir.It's not a problem.It's better to have a good imitation of a detective story à la "and then there were none" than a pale reflection of Wise or Hawks.One by one,people who did something nasty in the past are slain and detective Trintignant is here to solve the mystery ,a mystery which entertains the audience till the very end .Outside Trintignant,the cast is very odd,including French crooner Sacha Distel,as an emcee of a stupid radio contest (a wonderful spoof) ,Segal, who wrote "love story" ,Chabrol's then-wife (and ex-wife of Trintignant)and best actress Stephane Audran,Italian not yet sex symbol Laura Antonelli ,here cast against type,Jean-Pierre Marielle...

Very entertaining.