It's hard to believe that this rubbish was directed by the Maurice Cloche who gave us that magnificent movie, "Monsieur Vincent" (1947). Not that I mind watching rubbish if the action is brisk (here it is agonizingly slow), or the dialogue sparkles (here it is silly, banal and/or boring), or the plot grabs my interest (here it is nothing more than a stupid amalgam of gadgets and clichés), or the acting glows with style and charisma (here the performances vary from the impossibly stilted to the disinterestedly wooden), or the pacing is sharp and aggressive (here it is agonizingly flat-footed and determinedly dreary), or the direction has a bit of flair and style (here it seems dull, disinterested or, at best, thoroughly routine). Admittedly, I watched the English version and it's possible the French production may have been more worth my attention -- but I doubt it!
Review of The Viscount
