Choice of Arms (1981)
"Le choix des armes" (original title)

Two men break out of prison; a rival gang ambushes them. One is mortally wounded and tells the other, Mickey, to take him to the estate of a retired robber, Noel, who lives in comfort with ... See full summary »

Director:

Alain Corneau

Writers:

Alain Corneau, Michel Grisolia

Stars:

Yves Montand, Gérard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yves Montand	...	Noel Durieux
Gérard Depardieu	...	Mickey
Catherine Deneuve	...	Nicole Durieux
Michel Galabru	...	Bonnardot
Gérard Lanvin	...	Sarlat
Jean-Claude Dauphin	...	Ricky
Jean Rougerie	...	Raymond Constantini
Christian Marquand	...	Jean
Etienne Chicot	...	Roland Davout
Richard Anconina	...	Dany
Pierre Forget	...	Serge Olivier
Roland Blanche	...	Fernand
Marc Chapiteau	...	Savin
Jean-Claude Bouillaud	...	Andre
Antoine Baud

Storyline

Two men break out of prison; a rival gang ambushes them. One is mortally wounded and tells the other, Mickey, to take him to the estate of a retired robber, Noel, who lives in comfort with his lovely and beloved wife, Nicole. The man dies, and Mickey, a menacing hothead, demands money of Noel. A few days later, Mickey returns to the estate, shoots up a dinner party and threatens them again. Noel sends Nicole to an hotel and goes to his old gang to help him hunt down the dangerous Mickey. Mickey has other problems, too, including heartache for a daughter he hardly knows. Young, eager cops tail Nicole, and all are on a complicated collision course.

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Plot Keywords:

retired boxer | man crying | ransacking | derelict building | robbery gone awry | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French English

Release Date:

19 August 1981 (France)

Also Known As:

Choice of Arms

Filming Locations:

Rue Lucienne, La Courneuve, Seine-Saint-Denis, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Antenne-2, Parafrance Films, Sara Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Girare Le choix des armes (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Si ..."
Performed by Karen Chéryl

User Reviews

Deneuve, Depardieu, & Montand

"Le choix des armes" is a good example of French movie thriller -"le polar à la française", we can define it a true cinematic genre.

The film is an encounter between two generations of gangsters. The older one (Montand) lives now a quite life with his wife (Deneuve), the younger (Depardieu) has just escaped from prison. In this story both live personal dramas: Montand's brother dies during his escape and Deneuve is erroneously killed during a police operation; Depardieu face the impossibility of going elsewhere with his daughter and leading a normal life. He will pay the price of his dreams.

The direction of Alain Corneau is strong. He's able to analyze each charachter in a exhaustive way, no one is left apart. In this way also Gerard Lanvin and Michel Galabru's roles are well treated, between them there's almost the same relationship as between the two gangsters. Lanvin is a young agent who believes in justice but no one helps him, whereas Galabru is a frustrated old policeman.

Solid film, elegant, with action and many cat-and-mouse games.