Another fine noir from writer-director Julien Duvivier. Jean Gabin is dependable as always, but in large part this is Danièle Delorme's movie: she is fantastic (and curvaceous) as a manipuative femme fatale who can take care of business on her own; I was rooting for her even when I was not supposed to. Duvivier gives the film a vivid sense of the working environment in which Gabin operates (a gourmet restaurant), and punctuates it with eccentric little touches (like a female customer near the start who is briefly but strongly hinted to be lesbian). If there is one flaw, and I am trying to avoid outright spoilers here, it's that they needed to get a scarier dog to make the climax more credible. *** out of 4.
Review of Deadlier Than the Male
