BURGLARS, THE (LA CASSE)
(director/writer: Henri Verneuil; screenwriters: from the novel by David Goodis/Vahe Katcha; cinematographer: Claude Renoir; editor: Pierre Gillette; music: Ennio Morricone; cast: Omar Sharif (Abel Zacharia), Jean-Paul Belmondo (Azad), Dyan Cannon (Lena), Nicole Califan (Helene), Renalto Salvatori (Renzi), Raoul Delfosse (Le gardien de la villa Tasco), José Luis de Vilallonga (Tasco)Myriam Colombi (Isabelle Tasco), Robert Hossein (Ralph); Runtime: 120; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Henri Verneu/Jerome Seydoux; Columbia; 2022)
“Innocuous French-Italian neo noir crime film remake.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
It’s a remake of The Burglar (1957), a film starring Dan Duryea and Jayne Mansfield. Turkish filmmaker Henri Verneuil (“I as in icarus”/”Mother”) is the writer/director of the innocuous French-Italian neo noir crime film remake. It’s based on the 1953 novel The Burglar by David Goodis. The script writers include the director and Vache Katcha. It tells about four burglars in Athens and a corrupt Greek police inspector (Omar Sharif) who wants them arrested.
The professional male burglars are Azad (Jean-Paul Belmondo), Ralph (Robert Hossein) and Renzi (Renato Salvatori), and the woman burglar is Lena (Dyan Cannon, in a cameo). They rob the emeralds from the home of the wealthy gem merchant Mr Tasco (José Luis de Vilallonga).
After the heist, the dashing Belmondo character, the motley crew’s leader, is in a cartoon-like way chased all over Athens by the venal Police Inspector. It’s the film’s highlight scene.
The superficial film features colorful location shots of Athens, a fine score by Ennio Morricone and an energetic but leaden performance by Belmondo (and everyone else, but without his energy).
It’s a dud, not worth seeing.
