The Burglars

The introduction is like something from Melville; determinedly taciturn, protracted, male, a robbery analytically planned to the smallest detail... Simply marvelous. And then it all goes sour, because this has to remain a serious crime thriller, while Belmondo stylizes it into a comedy with “escapades". And it doesn’t work at all. It doesn’t help either that Belmondo’s daring stunts in his movies are, apart from exceptions proving the rule, the icing on the cake, topping the already good movie and plot foundations. The Burglars is the exception proving the rule. Everything here is a vehicle to present the incredibly frequent, interminably long stunt scenes. Which isn’t good. All the stunts are very impressive in themselves, but they should have appeared in a better movie. (12/01/2014)

From the beginning, I enjoyed the tension that only the France of the 1970s and 1980s can create. Quiet, speechless scenes and shots that don’t need any words. It’s a pity that the story was a weak one, kept afloat only by Jean-Paul Belmondo’s charm. However, he also showed some pretty good stunts. When he lay on the dump truck, which began to dump some sand or gravel on the hillside, I was wondering how everything will turn out. I really didn’t expect Jean-Paul to fall on the hillside, banging on the ground and rolling down for further 1000 meters. Well, how was I supposed to expect that, when lately I’ve been oversaturated with all sorts of digital effects, where the actor doesn’t even flinch? Thankfully, there are still proper movies which only this unforgettable time in France was able to produce. I have to say this movie was a pleasure to watch. (25/05/2014)