Lady Killer

it's got a fizz to it. feels alive.

I thought I was getting a typical Gabin-woos-the-ladies film, and it turned into a noir with a classic femme fatale. And, although I do like noir, I think that strange shift from silly romance (complete with too-stuffy butler and an overbearing mother) to a much darker story was what made me think there was something I had missed earlier in the film. The cinematography was beautiful (I loved the mirror scene), but the sudden story shift felt a little too incomplete.

This glossy soap opera is interesting since it reunites the stars of "Pépé le Moko" and is pretty solid if all you want is to see these same actors in a mildly entertaining film. It's not great, but Gabin and Balin are in something quite a bit lesser than their talents deserve.

Star Rating: ★★★★★

Overall a highly accomplished (semi-)femme fatal film. But one scene steals it all. Where he visits the lady's home and meets the mother! Wonderful performance from Marguerite Deval the little she was in it! Anyway, the movie stars the great Jean Gabin as a big flirt while in uniform, who meets his master in the stunning Mireille Balin and his downfall starts. There could have been more to the story, but in it's simplicity and directness it's definitely a fascinating French film!

"A haunting film." - Dan Callahan