Fleur d'oseille

Edward L Cahn gave us GUNS, GIRLS AND GANGSTERS, so our George Lautner - after all I am french - adapted a Jean Amila's novel, a very unusual topic involving normal people facing gangsters, to entertain audiences. Here, we find the Lautner's touch, and helped once more by Michel Audiard's dialogues. It is less rough and brutal than LE PACHA, but still remains a crime film, not a comedy. Mireille Darc shines in this film. She was for the Lautner, Lino Ventura, Jean Gabin, Gilles Grangier and Michel Audiard's bunch - a macho men bunch - the equivalent of what Maureen O'Hara was for the John Ford's one, with John Wayne, Victor McLaglen, Ward Bond. A woman adopted by tough men. Back to this agreeable film, we have the charm of the sixties with score, settings and dialogues. For instance women taking sun baths all naked, typical of the daring sixties... I don't remember if the film is faithful or not to the book. I have it at home but can not remind it. It is unusual, and also slightly bittersweet, that's the only thing that I can remind. In this movie,you have something of LES LOUPS DANS LA BERGERIE, also adapted from jean Amila, and something from TOTAL WESTERN. Some interesting supporting characters.