Dear Stelvio Cipriani,
your brilliant background score is the best part of this rather languid and unremarkable crime thriller. Stelvio, the romantic saxophone laced main theme was both melancholic and memorable. I have been playing it in my car for the last one year. The director Serge Leroy used it very well - especially in the romantic scenes.
Le Mataf begins in an interesting manner with a voice over introducing the three thieves. Michel Constantin, with his imposing presence and rather gruff voice might be the French Lee Marvin. Him and his two cohorts are the victims of a blackmail plot after they are photographed attempting to rob a train. The blackmailers force the trio to steal a roll of film (it is never revealed what the film contains) off a ship. Double crosses and triple crosses ensue. The flimsy plot is not even the film's major problem. The heist scene in the ship was supposed to be procedural like in a Melville or Verneuil film. But it was quite unimaginative and was the very opposite of thrilling. The action scenes were sleep inducing. No dialog stood out though the romantic scenes were quite interesting mainly due to your score, Stelvio.
What I liked about the film were the locales - especially the bars and the cafes. The pairing of the gigantic Michel Constantin with the petite Cathy Rosier suggests the director is indeed a man of taste. However, every scene makes you wish the director had hired a better scenarist. But he certainly hired the right composer. Your background score lent a melancholic and superior air to this otherwise dull film, Stelvio.
Best Regards, Pimpin.
(6/10)
your brilliant background score is the best part of this rather languid and unremarkable crime thriller. Stelvio, the romantic saxophone laced main theme was both melancholic and memorable. I have been playing it in my car for the last one year. The director Serge Leroy used it very well - especially in the romantic scenes.
Le Mataf begins in an interesting manner with a voice over introducing the three thieves. Michel Constantin, with his imposing presence and rather gruff voice might be the French Lee Marvin. Him and his two cohorts are the victims of a blackmail plot after they are photographed attempting to rob a train. The blackmailers force the trio to steal a roll of film (it is never revealed what the film contains) off a ship. Double crosses and triple crosses ensue. The flimsy plot is not even the film's major problem. The heist scene in the ship was supposed to be procedural like in a Melville or Verneuil film. But it was quite unimaginative and was the very opposite of thrilling. The action scenes were sleep inducing. No dialog stood out though the romantic scenes were quite interesting mainly due to your score, Stelvio.
What I liked about the film were the locales - especially the bars and the cafes. The pairing of the gigantic Michel Constantin with the petite Cathy Rosier suggests the director is indeed a man of taste. However, every scene makes you wish the director had hired a better scenarist. But he certainly hired the right composer. Your background score lent a melancholic and superior air to this otherwise dull film, Stelvio.
Best Regards, Pimpin.
(6/10)
