Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Yves Montand | ... | Noel Durieux | |
Gérard Depardieu | ... | Mickey | |
Catherine Deneuve | ... | Nicole Durieux | |
Michel Galabru | ... | Bonnardot | |
Gérard Lanvin | ... | Sarlat | |
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Jean-Claude Dauphin | ... | Ricky |
Jean Rougerie | ... | Raymond Constantini | |
Christian Marquand | ... | Jean | |
Etienne Chicot | ... | Roland Davout | |
Richard Anconina | ... | Dany | |
Pierre Forget | ... | Serge Olivier | |
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Roland Blanche | ... | Fernand |
Marc Chapiteau | ... | Savin | |
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Jean-Claude Bouillaud | ... | Andre |
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Antoine Baud |
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. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
With Melville's death, Tavernier and Corneau became the masters of French film noir, but the latter has the dreamlike mood that the genre really needs to be effective. Le choix des armes has many effective scenes (usually involving either Depardieu or Lanvin) but sometimes leaves us cold. There is a little too much exposition in the storytelling--why show us Montand and his buddy smashing up the gang lord's opulent house when there is no dramatic effect to be gained? Or the elaborate four-way car pursuit (did the budget allow for all those stunt-drivers, so Corneau thought Why not?).
The acting is mostly exceptional. The young Gérard Lanvin gives us a very frustrated young detective, Michel Galabru is his burnt-out superior, Richard Anconina plays a man trying to settle down to happy domesticity and failing, and Depardieu is simply great as Mickey le dingue, crazy and moving at the same time. The woman who plays Dany's wife with burning resentment takes over every scene she's in.