I'm generally not a big fan of addiction movies (it's gambling in this case), but count me in for Jeanne Moreau in the beautiful French Riviera anytime. She's as stunning as ever here, and gives her character a playfulness in living in the moment that makes her circumstances even sadder. Her marriage has fallen apart, she's lost custody of her three-year-old son (who she says she lost gambling too), she's sold her jewels in Monaco, and been kicked out of a casino in Enghien for cheating - and yet (of course) she's still bubbly and drawn to the roulette wheel. She's hooked up with a young man (Claude Mann) who's been bitten with the gambling bug after getting exposed to it from a friend, despite having at least a degree of common sense, a father who forbids him to gamble, and warning signs all around.
Between his idiotic system of tracking numbers that have come up, thinking they'll effect future outcomes, and her wild hunches and big wagers, the movie is filled with them playing one bet after another, and seeing their fortunes rise and fall. Along the way, beneath the glamor of a new sportscar and a room in a luxury hotel with a view, we see some ugly behavior, e.g. Her cozying up to other men for money, him calling her a slut, and him hitting her - but it never really feels like we get the gritty despair or pathos that is associated with gambling addiction. Maybe that's because these characters are dancing along the edge of the abyss, but haven't fallen yet. Regardless, the film really isn't saying anything new about the topic and the script is rather simple.
I was mesmerized nonetheless because of the place and time, and Moreau of course. It might have even gotten a higher rating from me, but director Jacques Demy hit me with Michel Legrand's jangling piano score a couple times too many, and the ending was as unbelievable as it was unsatisfying. The opening shot was absolutely brilliant, but the closing shot was as bad as something out of Hollywood. Overall, a beautiful film with a beautiful cast, but a mediocre script.
Between his idiotic system of tracking numbers that have come up, thinking they'll effect future outcomes, and her wild hunches and big wagers, the movie is filled with them playing one bet after another, and seeing their fortunes rise and fall. Along the way, beneath the glamor of a new sportscar and a room in a luxury hotel with a view, we see some ugly behavior, e.g. Her cozying up to other men for money, him calling her a slut, and him hitting her - but it never really feels like we get the gritty despair or pathos that is associated with gambling addiction. Maybe that's because these characters are dancing along the edge of the abyss, but haven't fallen yet. Regardless, the film really isn't saying anything new about the topic and the script is rather simple.
I was mesmerized nonetheless because of the place and time, and Moreau of course. It might have even gotten a higher rating from me, but director Jacques Demy hit me with Michel Legrand's jangling piano score a couple times too many, and the ending was as unbelievable as it was unsatisfying. The opening shot was absolutely brilliant, but the closing shot was as bad as something out of Hollywood. Overall, a beautiful film with a beautiful cast, but a mediocre script.