A classy but not entirely successful crime thriller from director Claude Lelouch. Jean-Louis Trintignant stars as career criminal who, after being busted for kidnapping a child, escapes from jail and is bent on getting revenge on one of his turncoat cohorts (to say anymore would spoil things). Trintignant is dynamite as a seedy, amoral louse who'll stop at nothing as he arrogantly eludes police capture. He's supported by the likes of Daniele Delorme (whose case of Stockholm syndrome hits very quickly), Christine Lelouch, Charles Gérard and Amidou as a not-so- trustful gun salesman. Best of all is Charles Denner as the very nervous father of the kidnap victim. There's some pretty hyperactive music by Francis Lai that really can't mask the fact that not much is happening during the film's first half. The plot kicks in and the film's second half is very enjoyable. Lelouch did the cinematography as well...as he's done for a number of his films.
Review of The Crook
