Le cas du Docteur Laurent (1957)

 

A heartfelt plea for painless childbirth in rural France of the fifties.

Basically a little propaganda piece supporting natural childbirth, this drama shows good local details and is presented with a hint of a feminist message; of course, Jean Gabin is always worth the watch.

Maltin**: "Film was exploited theatrically for its frank birth sequence, only small logical sequence..."

 

Mélodie en sous-sol (1963)

A sixtyish career criminal fresh out of jail, rejects his wife's plan for a quiet life of bourgeois respectability and enlists a former cellmate to assist him in pulling off one final score, a carefully planned assault on the vault of a Cannes casino.

Highly entertaining heist thriller is both suspenseful and full of dry humour; Jean Gabin is, as always, a joy to watch.

Maltin**1/2: "Some tense climactic moments."

Jean Gabin

Le jour se lève (1939)

After committing a murder, a man locks himself in his apartment and recollects the events the led him to the killing.

A classic of French cinema, a masterpiece of flashback storytelling, poetic b/w cinematography and a melodrama with existentialist overtones.

Halliwell***: "A model of French poetic realism, and a much-praised film which was almost destroyed when it was bought for an American remake (The Long Night)."

Maltin***1/2: "A staple of French cinema...Generally holds up, while going a long way toward defining Gabin's screen persona."

Jean Gabin