This movie is at first a simple funny comedy. But the cast, the lines, the "Second degré" humour have taken it to a French national monument, much like "Les Tontons Flingueurs" or "Les Barbouzes" (also directed by G. Lautner with more or less the same key guys).

Lino Ventura, Michel Constantin, André Pousse, Robert Dalban were first line figures of French crime movies. They made so many flicks together. Lautner directs them in this movie to play a parody of the roles that made them famous. Again, much like "Les Tontons flingueurs".

I would encouraged those who want to grasp what "popular culture" is for French folks to get into this movie and appreciate mostly the dialogs finely crafted by Michel Audiard. He seems to have written them for those actors with whom he shared so much: the food, the jokes, the lifestyle. 100% French stuff, as good as an AOC camembert or a local made saucisson.

Impressed by his performance in the Film Noir Classe Tous Risques,I started looking out for other titles with actor Lino Ventura.Finally getting round to watching his dazzling Film Noir Le septième juré,I recently looked at director Georges Lautner's IMDb page,and stumbled on a pairing between Lautner and Ventura,which led to me happily getting angry.

The plot:

Helping two of his former buddies escape the cops,semi-retied gangster (!) Antoine Beretto finds out that they have lost mountains of cash due to doing deals with slippery bookie Léonard Michalon.Visiting an old friend,Beretto gets hold of Michalon's address.Creeping into his house, Beretto is taken aback,when he finds a fellow gangster getting set to kill Michalon. Shooting the gangster, Beretto grabs Michalon and starts drawing up a "debt repayment deal." Just before the final touches are made to the long- term repayments of Michalon, Beretto discovers that along with his pals, Michalon stole from a gang called The Brits,who want to exchange their pounds for Michalon's head.

View on the film:

Latching onto Bernard Gérard's Surf Rock score,co-writer/(along with Michel Audiard/Marcel Jullian and Jean Marsan) director Georges Lautner mashes Film Noir up with slap-stick Comedy…and actually makes it work! Showing his mischievous side, Lautner knocks the 4th wall down with a deliciously quirky sense of humour dressing "The Brits" as overgrown school children who stand by the corner of the screen playing guitar solos to Gérard's score.Trying to get one on The Brits (talk about holding a grudge!) Lautner makes Beretto and Michalon attack one which nabs The Brits at their most off guard moments. Finding Michalon to be a needle in a haystack, Lautner and cinematographer Maurice Fellous cast Beretto's search in Neo-Noir chic,with fiery reds and yellows releasing a heated Noir atmosphere over the title.

Making Michalon as slippery as possible,the screenplay by Audiard/Jullian/Marsan & Lautner ties Film Noir with bonkers buddy Comedy,which scatter a bundle of hilarious,dead-pan one liners across the screen,as Beretto has to withstand the urge to give Michalon over.Keeping the Comedy and Noir neck and neck,the writers strike a sharp, twisting & turning Noir tale,set alight by Michalon desperately trying to keep the extent of his shady deals hidden,until they was over the screen with a guitar chord.

Playing the game against The Brits like an old pro, Lino Ventura gives a magnetic performance as Beretto,whose quick-wits are matched by Ventura giving Beretto a deep sigh of being a former Noir loner who is pulled back into the darkness. Ruining everything he touches, Jean Lefebvre gives a great performance as Léonard Michalon,who Lefebvre sends off to swim miles out of his depth,as they all try not to get angry.