Borsalino

This is a film that lives off its reputation. I like Deray, but cannot put Borsalino on display, despite the film having high ratings given the nostalgia and the presence of big movie stars. It's not just a matter of Deray's inexperience, but likely also his great ambitions. The film simply doesn't work and it's inconsistent. It is very evident that Deray tried to make a crime comedy, but the humor doesn't appeal, at least to me. Borsalino is strangely positioned between genres and it is possible to consider it as a prime example of when the chemistry between the main actors doesn't work. It's as if Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon were filming completely different movies. The contrast between their acting styles, which could have been potentially interesting, instead ends up sinking Borsalino. One star is for the cast, one for the backdrop of Marseille in the 1930s, and everything else is bad. The sequel Borsalino and Co. is also not a stellar piece, but genre-wise it is much cleaner. Overall impression: 45%. (10/18/2015)

Fantastic gangster movie. Manly, fair, once again unique for its time. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon immediately hit each other at the beginning of the film, only to become the best partners afterwards. At times, with Bebel's playfulness, it feels almost like a gangster comedy, but then quickly evens you out with some darkness and sadness. Borsalino is an exclusive piece. Period, thematic. It almost raises the question of whether the gangs of the 1930s were worse in Marseille or the current gangs of incoming immigrants. Anyway, the city has been enjoying itself for a long time and living in it must be a dream. (07/24/2023)