Jerk à Istambul (1967) User Reviews

Stunning scenery is the real star of this mediocre French adventure

[gridoon2024 · 5/10 · 18 September 2010]

When a young Parisian used cars salesman wins the lottery, he decides to give up his job (and his girlfriend) and travel to Istanbul to start a new life. There, he meets a beautiful nightclub singer but makes the mistake of asking the owner of the club for help with his papers; the owner is a small-time gangster who immediately realizes that this new arrival in town is loaded with money, and decides that he wants it all for himself. Meanwhile, our hero's older business partner, who also wants a share of the lottery winnings, comes to Istanbul to find him. Strictly mediocre in terms of story, pacing and action (the fight scenes are pretty clumsy), "Jerk à Istambul" has one major virtue (which can only be appreciated on a fine widescreen print, which is thankfully what I watched): its truly stunning scenery, which is not just limited to Istanbul, Turkey, but in the second half expands to Monemvasia, Greece, which looks so magnificent that you may decide to book it as your next vacation destination! The scenery is a character in itself in this movie - in fact, it is THE most interesting character, though the girl (Anny Duperey) and the villain (Pierre Richard) at least have some sense of style. The two "heroes", on the other hand, and especially Michel Constantine, come all-too-close to living up to the title with their behavior! ** out of 4.

Samos 99 or jerks in Istambul

[dbdumonteil · 28 April 2017]

Francis Rigaud is a French coarse comedies specialist ,but "Jerk A Istambul "(What a dumb title!) is a different matter : it's a thriller ,with an alarming lack of imagination.The film is decidedly of very little interest (just read the plot).Michel Constantin was par excellence the French cinema tough guy ,but romantic Jean- FRançois Poron (mostly remembered for "La Princesse De Clèves" or"Le Masque De Fer") is miscast .Very beautiful Duperey (20 at the time)is given the part of the damsel in distress,not great material to work with .Pierre Richard who portrays the villain must not be mistaken for the other "Pierre Richard" with whom Duperey co-starred in "Les Malheurs D'Alfred".Lots of beat-ups and bland songs pad out the movie.

Made at a time when people would not travel much ,the movie takes advantage of the scenery: Bosphorus, The Meteors in Greece ,which are the real stars of the flick.Please ,remember the guide .

Moral of this story: put aside your (not so) old grudges ,and hope for the best!And as the woman in black suggests :revenge is a dish best eaten hot!