Crooks in Clover (1963)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Blistering performances.

A gem, a gem, and again : a gem!The most "cult" film of the french production, this film never gets old thanks to the fantastic dialogs of the genius Michel Audiard...The only drawback? French, french and french as can be! to understand fully this film's incredible wit, one has to be able to recognize in full the subtle nuances of french language, from the rudest expressions of gangster speech to the most upscale diplomatic language, with so many intermediate stops that it's impossible to tell!"Morons dare anything...That's how one identifies them!""Hey did ya see that? During a truce? He's singing and then he's punching my face? but he's totally loony, that guy...Only, loonies, I cure them! I'm gonna give him a prescription, and a severe one for that matter! one will find him scattered at the four corners of Paris, puzzle fashion! when I'm done too much I don't correct anymore, I dynamite! I scatter! I break down!""- Okay then, take the truck and make the delivery yourself! - One has to be able to... - So what's holding you back? - At night, in the middle of the road, a man in uniform waving a lantern and shouting "stop!", what do you do? - Well I'm stopping of course, not running him over! -Well, that's why you still are in possession of a driving license, Sir...I'm not! "And so much more...A National Treasure, I tell you!

I watched this movie in two sittings. It was so boring that I had to make a pause and continue the following day. The story is very silly. That is usually OK for comedies but silly do not always means funny. And this movie is not funny at all. I like intelligent comedies but this was not the case either. Until about half the movie I was quite puzzled because it seemed to me simple like a bad gangster movie, nothing funny happened. I don't get why it was funny to see the same smacking scene again and again. Some have commented about the use of French language. I guess it all went over my head as I watched it subtitled. I can speak some French but probably not to the level needed to appreciate those subtleties. I would not recommend this movie to anyone.

I agree with all reviewers of this film, though they don't seem to agree one with the other. The thing is they're all right depending on how you focus on it. The other point is most of the reviewers, if not all of them, are French. And that is the point. You have to be French, otherwise, you'll pass over what makes this film so brilliant. In other words, what would be the point watching "gone with the wind" being deaf and blind? Still, if you are able to catch the delicious subtleness and unbelievable richness of Parisian argot (slang spoken for over 500 years makes it vintage. doesn't it ?), it is definitely a must see. Still, I gave it a 10 -1 rating. 10 because it's worth it, minus 1 because it's French.

What is so special about this movie ? Its density... It lasts about two hours, and you don't have any time to breathe, because of the intelligence, and the spirit of every quote. It is a shame that there are no exemples of quotes from it on this site, it would make you laugh just to read them. Under the appearance of a classic dark detective movie, it is one of the funniest comedy ever made. The only thing is that, to keep the atmosfear, you ought to see it in original version (french). But, for Audiard and his humor, for Launtner and his inspired direction, and, most of all, for the actors (especially Bernard Blier) everybody in the whole world must see it at least once. One of the greatest french movies ever made (and God knows the quality of the french cinema) !