antcol8
All right, it was fun, I'll admit it...Lino Ventura doing his thing, a Simonin adaptation (like Touchez Pas au Grisbi, one of my favorite films), lots of Culture Clash between "high" and "low" language - illustrated brilliantly in Michel Audiard's script. A classic "modern composer" scene (I collect those), some funny music cues (especially the church organ playing the movie's theme as the wedding processional). But it ain't a great movie. Another reviewer here called it something like "the worst - directed French classic", and that sounds about right. It's a movie of bits and moments. The more serious and sustained the action scene is supposed to be, the more unsuccessful the movie is. I fell asleep trying to watch it on DVD. But it works in the theater - pretty much...
ericmarseille
A gem, a gem, and again : a gem!The most "cult" film of the french production, this film never gets old thanks to the fantastic dialogs of the genius Michel Audiard...The only drawback? French, french and french as can be! to understand fully this film's incredible wit, one has to be able to recognize in full the subtle nuances of french language, from the rudest expressions of gangster speech to the most upscale diplomatic language, with so many intermediate stops that it's impossible to tell!"Morons dare anything...That's how one identifies them!""Hey did ya see that? During a truce? He's singing and then he's punching my face? but he's totally loony, that guy...Only, loonies, I cure them! I'm gonna give him a prescription, and a severe one for that matter! one will find him scattered at the four corners of Paris, puzzle fashion! when I'm done too much I don't correct anymore, I dynamite! I scatter! I break down!""- Okay then, take the truck and make the delivery yourself! - One has to be able to... - So what's holding you back? - At night, in the middle of the road, a man in uniform waving a lantern and shouting "stop!", what do you do? - Well I'm stopping of course, not running him over! -Well, that's why you still are in possession of a driving license, Sir...I'm not! "And so much more...A National Treasure, I tell you!
ensor_ostende-1
OK, is not an easy movie to understand, if your not familiar to old french slang, the real argot if you see what I mean... yet, this is an easy movie to understand, since you don't need to be familiar to argot : les tontons flingueurs is a classic OK ? No need of big arguments, no need to summarize the movie to non-frenchspeakers, simply see it in original version (with subtitles or with a french friend) and you'll agree with me !!! This is a movie monument, this deserves to be IMDb's movie number one !!! If you didn't understand me... well, I'm use to it, that's why I sing Nina Simone's song...Thank you
Strato59
Les Tontons flingueurs is a real master piece! Audiard was a genius writing in "green language" (la langue verte, slang from 50's/60's full of sharp metaphor) its really irresistible.... Unfortunately this movie cannot be translated, too bad it deserve at least 10 oscars! for acting / senario / directing / etc... JP nyc
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