Summary
An ageing gangster, Fernand Naudin is hoping for a quiet retirement when he suddenly inherits
a fortune from an old friend, a former gangster supremo known as the Mexican. If
he is ambivalent about his new found wealth, Fernand is positively nonplussed to discover
that he has also inherited his benefactor's daughter, Patricia. Unfortunately, not
only does Fernand have to put up with the thouroughly modern Patricia and her nauseating
boyfriend, but he also had to contend with the Mexican's trigger-happy former employees,
who are determined to make a claim...
Review
What was originally envisaged as a serious gangster thriller ended up as a classy comedy
thriller, the first in what would become a popular sub-genre in French cinema in the late
1960s. The main reason why this brand of comedy works particularly well in Les
tontons flingueurs is because it does appear so out of place. Before this film,
French gangster thrillers were either a straight imitation of the American film noir genre
(the best example being Du rififi chez les hommes) or else deliberately camp send
ups of the genre (such as the Lemmy Caution series). Les tontons flinguers attempts
something quite different with great sophistication and flair, which explains the cult
status the film has enjoyed up to the present day.
The film stars Lino Ventura
and Bernard Blier, both strong traditional actors, better known for their serious roles
in tough dramas and hard-edged thrillers. One of the film's strengths is how both
actors are able to assume comic roles whilst keeping their familiar hard man personae.
Les Tontons flingueurs
both celebrates the crime thriller genre (which was still popular at the time it
was made) and parodies it with ruthless precision. Written by one of France’s best
screen writers, Michel Audiard, the script is replete with some brilliant one-liners.
The combination of a first-rate script and ebullient comic performances, with all the
familiar gangster film trappings, makes this a wickedly entertaining piece of cinema.
© James Travers 2002
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