Two Men in Town (1973)

It represents the ash after its final credits. last meet between Gabin and Delon on screen, it is a film inspiring, for an old man like me, nostalgia. because it seems a puzzle with familiar pieces. simple. but seductive. dramatic. for the nuances. a story about second chance, justice and sins. one of films for a precise target. because it is one of keys to an universe of cinema who seems, for many reasons, lost today.

Without even checking, I knew from the first 20 minutes that the movie is from the post-1968 era in France. At the time, they tried to build a case against death penalty and raise awareness on the issues faced by ex-cons trying to return to normal life. The intention is good but the concept didn't age very well. First of all, there is no death penalty in France any more and presenting the convicts as "victims" is not perceived as a reasonable position today. Giovanni makes one character say: "we must destroy all prisons and the problem is solved". Just this quote gives you the spirit of the whole movie. For the rest, nothing really happens. At times, the camera work reminds me of romantic movies for 16-year old girls: slow motion, love music, people playing, jiggling, happiness in their faces, hugging in slow motion again... I mean, really??The voice-over is irritating. They use it too much along the movie. So rather than showing what's happening, they actually tell it.

Alain Delon produced this movie and this sums up its flaws: 'Two Men in Town' is mostly about showcasing a very likable ex-con. A real role model for ex-con actually. You can guess that the story of a very likable ex-con offers very little to entertain (not joking here) or thrill you. Actually the movie looks like a would-be film noir where fate takes the whole movie to step in. In a real bona fide film noir the hero is gradually derailed from the start, here we have to wait again and again. And suspense it is not, not when it's just about waiting for something to really happen as opposed to teasing.José Giovanni never was a good director, his main flaw being his dull complacent treatment of honour/friendship among thieves/gangsters and other all-brawn social outcasts. So he was always weak on character depth and character development. Now, when you are tired you can enjoy the simplistic story and action of some of his movies, the problem being there is no action here and Giovanni has no clue what character psychology might be (well apparently you never get a chance to understand psychology in jail).All in all you can passively enjoy this movie on a dull evening. Gabin is not doing much, but it's Gabin and he still had charisma. Delon is pleased with his poor handsome straight guy thingy and it is OK to watch him enjoy it (that is taking his slim role very much seriously). Then there are a couple of nice supporting characters that happen to ring in and they do help to stand 90 minutes of mostly nothing.The ending fails to bring something new, it even fails to build a consistent case against death penalty. The last few images of Delon should be gripping, but the setup was too low-key for it to be the heart-wrenching moment you would expect.

Although "le Rapace" , "Dernier domicile Connu" and even " la Loi du Survivant" are certainly superior to "deux Hommes dans la Ville" ,the latter is Giovanni's definitive statement against death penalty.He and André Cayatte were the two French directors who really fought during their careers and their films certainly contributed to its abolishment in 1981.Giovanni would come back to his favourite subject with "comme un Boomerang" and" une Robe Noire pour un Tueur",but those were much weaker efforts.And his final work "Mon père" is not devoid of leniency."Deux Hommes dans la Ville "is A WINNER.First thing to bear in mind is that ,at its time of release,French critics were chilly ,they sneered when they saw Michel Bouquet 's cop character.They had probably forgotten "Les misérables" ,Javert and Jean Valjean.Giovanni's cop is not implausible and Bouquet's sly face is ideal.By and large,the cast is dazzling:we find an actor from the heyday of the French cinema ,Gabin,(Delon's fate recalls some parts of young Gabin "le jour se lève" and "Quai des Brumes"),then from the second generation (Delon) and even the third one is represented with Gerard Depardieu and Bernard Giraudeau -whose part is certainly the weakest of the script:the post-68 student ,we have seen this character too many times- Supporting cast also includes Victor Lanoux and Malka Ribowska ,as a convincing lawyer who is Giovanni's spokesman(woman!)when she expresses her horror of this "razor" (guillotine)which reduces France to the level of the under developed countries.Gino (Delon) paid for what he'd done.He deserved a chance to pick up the pieces.His awakening,on THE fatal morning,is absolutely terrifying.