Except from the opening prologue at the graveyard, Le Pacha starts as a fine crime movie. The robbery is great, and another high point is the scene where Nathalie (Dany Carrel) meets Quinquin (André Pousse) at the 'JNS 3' shop. Then the movie stops being interesting, the whole plot is just let go to reach the agreed upon conclusion. Either they felt too tired after writing the first part or they had to compromise henceforth.
Gabin benefits from Audiard's dialog, but he is definitely not the main asset here
I agree with a previous reviewer that Gabin does bog down the global rhythm, he just hams it as he did most of the time in the later decade of his career, playing the tough intractable patriarch. This really makes a boring character that prevents the script from being more clever. Gabin actually demanded that the script be tailored to suit his own image of The Patriarch of French Cinema, and it painfully shows here in contrast with such an interesting, if very violent, first half. Just remember that Gabin had declined to play the lead in Les Tontons Flingueurs, otherwise we would not have had that masterpiece of French comedy.
SPOILERS thereafter: the 65min mark
IMO Le Pacha goes down the drain when Nathalie goes to meet Quinquin at his house. OK she wanted a personal revenge, but she was an interesting character who was cheaply gotten rid of for the sake of a script that is then just dull till the end. Now I understand Gabin would have been reluctant to share more screen time with her, but I really feel the key to a better final act lies with a more clever part for Dany Carrel. It's all too obvious since the movie is just 80min long and we've got this rushed, linear, uninteresting telegraphed ending after the 65min mark. The movie could have been 10min longer and way better... were it not for Mr Gabin almighty star power.
Gabin benefits from Audiard's dialog, but he is definitely not the main asset here
I agree with a previous reviewer that Gabin does bog down the global rhythm, he just hams it as he did most of the time in the later decade of his career, playing the tough intractable patriarch. This really makes a boring character that prevents the script from being more clever. Gabin actually demanded that the script be tailored to suit his own image of The Patriarch of French Cinema, and it painfully shows here in contrast with such an interesting, if very violent, first half. Just remember that Gabin had declined to play the lead in Les Tontons Flingueurs, otherwise we would not have had that masterpiece of French comedy.
SPOILERS thereafter: the 65min mark
IMO Le Pacha goes down the drain when Nathalie goes to meet Quinquin at his house. OK she wanted a personal revenge, but she was an interesting character who was cheaply gotten rid of for the sake of a script that is then just dull till the end. Now I understand Gabin would have been reluctant to share more screen time with her, but I really feel the key to a better final act lies with a more clever part for Dany Carrel. It's all too obvious since the movie is just 80min long and we've got this rushed, linear, uninteresting telegraphed ending after the 65min mark. The movie could have been 10min longer and way better... were it not for Mr Gabin almighty star power.