Two Men in Town (1973)

Thanks for the memories!

Beautiful, moving film.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Germaine Cazeneuve (Jean Gabin) is an educator of delinquents and state prisoners, his job is to help them reform and adjust to a new life outside of prison. He pleads for leniency in the case of safe cracker Gino Strabliggi (Alain Delon) who is up for parole after 10 years inside, against their better judgement the parole board agrees to Cazeneuve's request on condition that he takes responsibility for Strabliggi. Gino, as an ex con, is forced by French law to take residence anywhere but in a city and so he settles with his young wife in the country, where fate turns against him, as first his wife is killed, then he is hounded by his former crime gang to return to his former lifestyle and also one of the arresting officers from his case years previously, the now chief inspector Goitreau is in charge of the area and has a grudge against him and becomes even more suspicious when he finds out Gino's new girlfriend Lucie is working in the local bank With the help of his now good friend Cazeuenve and his new girlfriend Lucie (Mimsy Farmer) he tries to battle his demons and fight against the troublesome cop.Jose Giovanni (born Joseph Damiani) is perhaps best known as a writer of some renown in France, in films like Melvilles Le Deuxième soufflé, and Classe tous risques (1960) his writings usually centering on crime, an area he knew only too well, as he was on death row in France from 1948-1956 before gaining a Presidential pardon. While inside he penned the script for Le Trou, French slang for prison literally meaning "The Hole", a script that would gain him one of his first steps into the film industry, when it was filmed by Jacques Becker, who turned out one of the best prison films ever made. Deux hommes dans la ville is a film that was obviously close to his heart as it doesn't reveal its true motives until the end, where we are treated to an emotional climax on death row, with the usual last minute wait on a pardon. The film itself is an excellent character study, made all the better by two fine performances by the Gabin and Delon. Gabin giving us a truly world weary performance, his voice-over at times heartbreaking, as he comes to terms with the injustices he encounters on a daily basis. Delon portrays the truly reformed character Gino, struggling against the injustice of a criminal and legal system that still lives in the dark ages with a deliciously watchable class. The film struggles at times, especially early on to keep cohesion, Giovanni seemingly trying to fit to many characters and too much plot into a short time span, its almost like this film should have had a running time of 4 hours and he struggled to leave out areas that were obviously dear to his heart. Still though it's a classy film, beautifully filmed and with a truly epic and emotive score by Philippe Sarde. Giallo queen Farmer is also pretty good and there a very charismatic cameo from Gerard Depardieu as a cocky young criminal, who's not that impressed by Gino's past glories.

I love Alain Delon and Jean Gabin and french cinema. So I was high on expectations when i began this film. It's good. It's a simple story, that moves organically and is well photographed and acted....it is not a typical film....and hence needs a bit of time to get into the mood of the film. But it's a stirring story and gradually you understand and get emotionally involved in the characters. And you feel Oh my God....this is dangerous, tragic. I hate comments that reveal the complete story....no...but i loved the character of the vindictive cop. A guy i hated... The end of the film reminded me of Kieslowski's A short film about killing. For those seeking entertainment, watch the Alain Delon thrillers featured in the DVD extras. This is a serious film but it's eminently watchable and has a powerful underplayed drama. The actors are a treat to watch. I love Jean Gabin, though i must confess, i've only seen him play the old man.He'd have been as stupendous when young. His face is a landscape of stories.The ideal double bill would be this film, followed by Henri Vernuil's Any number can win...with the same principle cast. Since i'm from India, I must add here that we have our own Alain Delon here....Saif Ali Khan. A handsome intense actor who is right now very happening. Not a date movie for sure but a good film nevertheless.

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.

Formidable film built on an original scenario, Two men in the city is a load against the death penalty and a dark report on the incapacity of the Republic to grant one second chance to that which made an error. But it is also, quite simply, the tragic history of a man. Four years after their Clan of the siciliens, José Giovanni again joins together the couple, Gabin/Delon in a film . It calls also upon one of known leading man , with dishevelling Michel Bouquet in relentless police , Bernard Giraudeau who plays the son of the teacher Cazeneuve, the presenter Christine Fabréga, his wife, Cecile Vassort ,his daughter.Victor Lanoux , Gerard Depardieu and Gabrille Briand three mafias, One could say, in a certain manner, which we all are of Gino Strabliggi..... that's a simple existence transfers with the drama. What is striking, it is to see the life gradually escaping the character literally from film. A combination of circumstances: a mourning which pushes to start again elsewhere, the chance which puts to you in the presence of harmful characters, voluntarily or involuntarily, the feeling of injustice in justice. The interpretation of Alain Delon one of his best in his career. One will never say enough the importance of the glances in this film. Delon deploys a varied and sensitive "pallet" . Jean Gabin, to his practice, brings a considerable appreciation to the interest of film. Narrator and the pilot main thing of the drama, it systematically replaces the pseudo truths in their true contradiction with the owner of the printing works which employs Gino Strabliggi, humanity in a terribly mechanical and cold landscape. It is necessary to have seen the two almost dumb scenes in which the two actors exchange glances, that of the visiting room and that of the execution. Into the latter, Gino Strabliggi slips to Germain Cazeneuve "- I am afraid" like that of a son to his father.last word ,the original music of Philippe Sarde, perfectly adapted to film; light and sad old story... like the destiny.