L'homme de Marrakech (1966) Poster

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6/10
Intriguing French/Spanish co-production about a band of robbers pulling off an armored truck heist
ma-cortes9 September 2016
Typical hold-up movie including some elements from noir cinema , especially the starring , a gorgeous Femme Fatal , and with terrific performances by a plethora of nice actors . It contains suspense , action , sharp-edged thrilling scenes and excellent interpretations . It deals with a gang of robbers formed by an expert thief (Alberto De Mendoza) , his wonderful girlfriend (Claudine Auger) and a young man (George Hamilton) grabbing an armored truck . But when they are pursued by a stubborn Police Inspector (Manuel De Blas) the thrilling things go awry , though the young man gets a gun , takes a million in gold and a beautiful girl .

This is a suspenseful heist movie in which intrigue , plot twists and thriller are continued . From the beginning to the end it turns out to intriguing , including well developing of interesting characters , and that's why it is entertaining . The movie has great loads of emotion , dark-edged drama , thrills and moving events . Starred by some unsettling characters damned to inevitable tragedies , powerful finale , stylized set pieces heighten the suspense and tension have place in all Jose Giovanni's screenplay . The picture displays usual elements noir cinema like the fatalism and tragic fate , loser characters , a magnificent photography and the ¨Femme Fatale¨ marvellously incarnated by an avaricious Claudine Auger , she's the first among equals from an extraordinary cast . Furthermore , good secondary actors such as : Alberto De Mendoza , Daniel Ivernel , Manuel de Blas , and George Rigaud .

The motion picture was well produced by Claude Giroux , based on a novel by Robert Page Jones and being compellingly written by Jose Giovanni , a prestigious French writer-director of commercially successful crime thrillers , including exciting heists . His novel, "Le Trou," ("The hole", slang for prison) , which became a classic film , was based on his own escape attempt from a Paris prison , as director Jacques Becker bought the rights of the book and directed it in 1959 , considered to be the best prison movie . José became a well-known dialoguist , scenarist too , working many times with Jacques Deray . Then he directed his first movie in 1966 , "La Loi Des Survivants" , while he was still writing novels about gangsters , cops , prison and manly friendship . Some of his films , many are based from his own novels , include Le Rapace (1968), La Scoumoune (1972) , The gypsy (1975) , Boomerang (1976) , and Le Ruffian (1983).

Colorful and evocative cinematography by Henry Raichi , being shot in Almería , Andalucía , Spain , Lisbon , Portugal and Tetuán , Marrakech , Morrocco . This entertaining and acceptable caper movie was well directed by Jacques Deray , making a memorable work , though sometimes results to be slow-moving . He was a purveyor of a certain kind of noir movie , creating a tiny studio . Jacques began as an actor in his late teens and from 1952 worked as assistant to several noted directors , including Luis Bunuel and Jules Dassin . He was President of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1981 . One of his favourite actors was Alain Delon , whom Jacques directed many times . He made his first film in 1960 and Jacques directed some great French actors as Alain Delon , Jean-Louis Trintignant , Michael Serrault , Charlote Rampling and Jean-Paul Belmondo . Deray was a notorious director and writer , known for Borsalino (1970) , The Outside Man or A man is dead (1972) , Flic Story (75) , Le gang (77) , Three Men to Kill (80) , Le Marginal (1983) , He Died with His Eyes Open (85) and The Loner (87) . Being his greatest hit : La Piscine (1969).
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5/10
a rare Giovanni-Deray heist movie
eric-baril9 December 2013
That Man George (with the real lazy "bellâtre" George Hamilton) is an invisible movie directed by the great Jacques Deray and written by the immense José Giovanni (surprisingly also written with the actress Suzy Prim). An international production I just saw with gentleman Philippe (who wrote the very first comment on this rarity). Not a masterpiece in heist genre, but we need to see a minter print than we saw to appreciate the quite good heist sequence (that reminds me of A Cruel Gun Story, a very brilliant jewel). L'Homme De Marrakech is regrettably slowed down by far fetched dubbing. But how exciting to discover this invisible movie directed by late Jacques Deray, another great french thriller director we'll never forget. Thanx again Philippe.
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One more armored truck heist flick
searchanddestroy-14 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Last month, I watched WORLD IN MY POCKET, another crime movie about a gang of thieves pulling an armored truck heist. This film is as rare as the other one, and the story is pretty close to. So the heist itself. I won't give more details. Except that two months ago, I discovered another crime film from Japan, telling the story of a gang of robbers grabbing an armored truck in the very same manner, if you compare it with the two films described above.

The sixties was really the decade of heist movies. The most "generous" in this scheme. Useless to say that it is my favourite period.

This film is only very rare, but certainly not a feature which you have to get through a mine field for. Only for crazy pricks like me. I love this kind of theme, but this is certainly not for every one. Nothing exceptional here. This film is rather faithful to the novel. Some links may let you think about another armored truck heist film: THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS, or even ARMORED, made in 2009, also showing an armored truck guard locked in his truck and whom gangsters force him to surrender. Interesting scheme. And not so usual in the movie history.

I watched it today with my new friend Eric. Who promised to comment it too. So there would be two comments for this film.

Georges Hamilton shows here as much charm as an armchair, and the performances are flat everywhere. But, I repeat, this is a very rare gem, and from the late Jacques Deray, whom the french Academy Awards - the Césars - did not speak about when he died. No homage, not a word. Nothing.

Such a shame.

It would be great if this item could be released on DVD or aired somewhere on cable channels.
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