L'aîné des Ferchaux (1963)

 

Broke French ex-paratrooper turned amateur boxer Michel Maudet becomes bodyguard for the fugitive corrupt banker Ferchaux.

Odd French road movie, which is staged mostly in the USA, has elegantly construed narrative, it's nicely directed with two good lead performers, but the protagonists are quite disagreeable characters, so that one hardly develops any empathy for them.

Tre fratelli (1981)

 

Three men face their mother's death.

From memory: Beautifully shot family tale with an excellent cast of top-notch actors is obviously meant, with its multi-level narrative,  as fable for life and society in Italy.

Maltin***: "Wise, touching, but slow-moving account..." 

 

Alice ou la dernière fugue (1977)

A young woman leaves her lover and ventures forth in a blinding rainstorm and becomes entangled in the strange world of an isolated villa populated with people who will not answer questions and who speak in existential riddles.

From memory: Mesmerizing and surreal fantasy, meticulously staged, Sylvia Kristel perfectly cast in the title role; one of Chabrol's best works, and probably one of hus least known as well.

 

Les diaboliques (1955)

The wife of a cruel headmaster and his mistress conspire to kill him, but after the murder is committed, his body disappears, and strange events begin to plague the two women.

A classic horror mystery melodrama that stills manages to thrill and shock; masterfully executed in all departments.

Halliwell***: "Highly influential, suspenseful and scary thriller with a much-copied twist typical of its authors. Slow to start and shabby-looking as befits its grubby school setting, it gathers momentum with the murder and turns the screw with fine professionalism."

Maltin***1/2: "Classic ciller builds slowly, surely to final quarter hour that will drive you right up the wall. A must."