François Holin (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is small time mob driver who wears a collection of smart ties . Problems emerge when he is detained and incarcerated at a State Penitentiary . Once being freed he goes on his criminal career , but he quest for respect and some fateful choices lead him to be a notorious gangster , as newspapers publicize : Francois Holin is a mix between Arsenio Lupin and Al Capone . He is reduced to chaffeuring for a gang of stealers who simply call him Ho . Along the way, his only interests in life are a beautiful cover girl (Joanna Shimkus as a gorgeous society woman , a bit later on , she married Sidney Poitier) and his relationship to a journalist (Paul Crauchet) .
A badly dubbed movie from the time in which Belmondo was a great star and he could churn out whatever film and getting a big success . Here he performs a small time mob driver who subsequently turns into a known mobster . Based on the own novel by prestigious José Giovanni , though he was not satisfied with this rendition . Jean-Paul delivers his usual acting in Belmondo style , playing a disgraced former racing driver who quest for respect . Breakthrough Belmondo big hit in Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless(1960) made him one of the key figures in the French New Wave. Since mid-60s he completely switched to commercial mainstream pictures and became a big comedy and action star in France and still clean up the Frenk box office . As he played a lot of big hit movies , such as : Is Paris burning ? , Two women , Le professional , Le magnifique , The brain , The man from Rio , Cartouche , Pierre Le Fou , Love and the Frenchwoman , Stuntwoman , Stavisky , Borsalino , High heels , Les Miserables , among others . Following the example of Alain Delon he founded his own production company Cerito named after his grandmother's maiden name. In 1989 he was awarded Cesar for his performance in Itinerary of a spoiled child (1988) . Recently he returned to stage performing in the Theatre Marigny in Paris. He still appears in the movies but not so often as before preferring mostly dramatic roles. The president of France distinguished him with order of Legion of Honour.
It displays an atmospheric musical score by piano , performed and composed by Francois de Roubaix , in his ordinary style . As well as an evocative cinematography by Jean Boffety . The motion picture was regularly directed by by Robert Enrico . Robert enrolled in the famous film school IDHEC where he specialized in editing and directing. From 1956 to 1959 he did his military service within the Service Cinématographique des Armées. His shorts gave him critical acclaim very early in his career. Having become the maker of popular movies after an arty debut, he was awarded the best movie "César" for "Le vieux Fusil" before becoming the long-time president of "L'Académie des Césars". Enrico was a good professional who directed interesting films as ¨Jailsbird vacation¨ , ¨Rum Runners¨, ¨The wise guys¨ and his masterpiece ¨The adventurers¨ and of course ¨The old fusil¨ . Rating : 5/10 , so-so and average . The film will appeal to French cinema lovers , but only for Belmondo fans .
