gridoon2018 "Cat And Mouse" runs a little too long at about 103 minutes, and the murder mystery at its center is not exceptionally gripping, yet it has a lot going for it: some exciting camera-work (especially in a wild car ride from Paris to the countryside and back), an engagingly idiosyncratic central character (played by Serge Reggiani), lots of subtle humor, and a solution to all the mysteries that is simple, logical, unexpected, and very French. The narrative frequently moves back and forth in time and place, so the film does require the viewer's undivided attention; Claude Lelouch is not a "genre" director / writer, so this is not a typical "genre" film by any means. *** out of 4.

writers_reign Despite a bulging CV - he is currently filming his 49th film - Claude Lelouch is regarded in some quarters as a one-trick pony who offers his public the same chocolate box time and again with only the wrapping slightly changed. It is perhaps unfortunate that his Un Homme et une femme caught the public mood so significantly forty years ago that they have been subconsciously urging him to eclipse it, a task that has proved impossible. Nevertheless I would argue that he has turned out some interesting and entertaining movies over the years and this is certainly amongst them. Back in 1975 this film had something Great going for it; it marked the return to the screen of an icon of French cinema, Michele Morgan after an eight-year lay-off so that theoretically it could have been the worst French film since Breathless and it would still have had them beating a path to the box office. It wasn't, of course, worse than Breathless but then what is, except perhaps Mr Bean, it was, in fact, a highly entertaining divertissement in the shape of a thriller that posed the question was millionaire Jean-Pierre Aumont pushed or did he fall and if he WAS pushed who did it, his wife, Michele Morgan, the obvious suspect or a third party. That's for Serge Reggiani - playing the applicably named Lechat - to discover with the help, or hindrance, of his sidekick Philippe Leotard - and French movie buffs will be delighted to get a glimpse of Vernon Dobtcheff in there as well. Not unnaturally Reggiani is attracted to Morgan which throws in an extra dimension and Lelouch also manages to indulge his love of fast cars in a sequence where Reggiani and Leotard attempt to 'time' a journey from Paris to the provinces and for the most part the camera is mounted in the driver's seat. In short this is a great example of Lelouch's earlier work.

Tony Rome I found a copy of this film, released on video in 1981. The film has not been re-issued on any other format. The film should be restored, with a director commentary. The film has one of the most clever plots ever to be displayed on film. I certainly do not want to spoil the plot for any interested viewer, so I will say little in the plot. The scene where the detectives are trying to time driving from Paris to the countryside is a gem. Brialy and Aumount are at their best. This film is just as enjoyable as another Lelouch film "Robert et Robert" which is also very hard to find, but still out there. Hopefully criterion or anchor bay will restore these classics and make them available for future movie going generations.

glaxona This film has stayed near the top of my recommendation list since I first saw it in 1976, in spite of the fact that I haven't seen it but once since then, when I found a copy on Betamax (remember Sony?). The storyline is an interesting and romantic mystery between a detective and the femme fatale suspect. The many plot twists and turns are only bettered by the wonderful cinematography and mr. LeLouch's delicious direction through the streets of Paris and the countryside of France. I have seen many "foreign" films the past 30 years, and this one has continued to hold a fond place in my memory. There is so much dreck on video, and so many pleasant little films for the over-twelve audience have simply slipped through the cracks and disappeared into the mists of time. A real shame for those of us tired of seeing endless scenes of carnage and violence...