Comptes à rebours (1971)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Roger Pigaut

Writers:

André G. Brunelin (writer)
Roger Pigaut (writer)

Release Date:

29 January 1971 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

10 years ago, François Nolan and his brother have been betrayed by one of their accomplices after a break-in...

Plot Keywords:

Betrayal | Disfigurement

Cast

Michel Bouquet	...	Valberg
Serge Reggiani	...	François Nolan
Hubert Deschamps	...	Le concierge / Janitor (as Hubert Deschamp)
Joëlle Bernard	...	Suzy
Serge Sauvion	...	Jebel
Jean-Marc Bory	...	Ferrier
Amidou	...	Macias
Marcel Bozzuffi	...	Zampa
André Pousse	...	Gi
Jeanne Moreau	...	Madeleine
Jean Desailly	...	Michel St Rose
Simone Signoret	...	Léa
Charles Vanel	...	Juliani
Pippo Merisi	...	Livio
Bob Asklöf	...	Narcisse (the hit man)

Also Known As:

Circle of Vengeance (USA) (TV title)
Conto alla rovescia (Italy)
Countdown (UK)
Reckonings Against the Grain (International: English title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16

Company:

Cine Azimut

Stylish but realistic

This is not the sign-board of French crime stories, but a convincing representative nevertheless. It's dominated by the inevitability of death like in a Greek drama. The director managed to sustain interest although the audience knows how it all is going to end after some fifteen minutes. The main ingredients are: Great acting by understatement, credibility of figures and story and style - which usually excludes realism. But here style and atmosphere are devices to compress the ongoings and human relationships and to reduce them to a minimum. No words wasted, no over-acting, no melodramatic interferences, no straying from the downhill track. Divas like Jeanne Moreau and Simone Signoret are even "neglected" in minor roles and not exploited to a maximum, 'cause the story is so centered on Nolan's trail. And the assembled lineup of well-known French actors of the period never gets in the way like in many "star"-films. It's a film that will surely bore audiences used to super-heroes but adults will love to get acquainted with this one.