Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Victor Khomenko (M) on February 21, 2004 at 21:45:48

The film is a good representative of the mid-seventies (made in 1976), when many weak crime films were made. Someone might say they are still being made in droves - right, but somehow it seems to me that was the true era of Starski and Hutch... certainly not the movie's greatest hour, and that wave didn't leave France intact either.

Gabin plays a sympathetic thief finishing his jail term... looking toward peaceful retirement. But the temptation is too great, so he breaks out of jail, and...

Well, I am not a spoiler's man, so I guess you will have to see it if you want to know.

But here's a gotcha. The American release DVD has about 80% of the subs missing. So you get plenty of the French blah-blah-blah-blah.....- blah... and then "Yes, OK" subs in response. Or the characters simply decide to talk some French among themselves for a few minutes, leaving you guessing as far as what is going on.

Fun? Yeah... kinda, but I wouldn't mind to know what exactly happened before between Gabin and Darrieux. As it was, It was clear they used to be lovers, and now she is a baroness... just married.

But all the juicy details, man, the juicy ones! They are lost.

It is almost sad to see Gabin being barely able to walk. The camera treats him gently, switching around when time comes for him to jump out of the window or crawl out of the manhole.

Understandable, and even commendable, as it was done fairly unobtrusively.

The role was your typical Gabin the Elder at his best, with lips barely moving, eyes barely moving... facial muscles barely moving... and yet - charismatic as hell, so you feel Darrieux's sudden love re-ignition was more than justified... ah.... your typical Gabin! You can see the twenty year old girls commit suicide over one touch of his gray hair!

Some might find the plot interesting. It is indeed a notch or two above your average lame crime caper - but not too much so. Watching the inept affair of the three skyjackers, one can't escape thinking of the modern days air travel - and get rid of the lost innocence sensation. A wonderful reminder of simple things of the past...

I don't know if I am recommending this film or advising against... truth is even with the botched subs it only irritated me moderately. The ending though is totally predictable... but I will spare you the details.

So all in all, if you enjoy watching Starski and Hutch, love the old fashioned suits and those ridiculous broad ties, then you might not regret your time.

Just make sure your copy has all the subs.

Ah, and yes, the last note... the subtitles that made it... it seems they were put together by a French garlic farmer, doing his best in his new part time job. A first year Russian immigrant writes better English.

How's THAT for a recommendation, boys and girls?

And yet... and yet I feel a bit sad writing this. The Great actor is no longer with us. He made 97 films in his life. He will be remembered for the roles that only Gabin could give us - and for that alone watching his last film is like paying a well deserved tribute to one of the movies greatest leading man.