BOB LE FLAMBEUR (1955)
The French excel at film noir, and this is one of the better ones from the Fifties. Bob the Gambler (Roger Duchesne) is a middle-aged seemingly former gangster who served a stretch in prison for a bank robbery and still has plenty of clout among the crooks and shady men and women of his Parisian neighborhood. The cops respect him, too. But after a big gambling loss, he's persuaded to mastermind a heist of Deauville casino. As usual, there's no honor among thieves, and director Jean-Pierre Melville supplies a typically cynical and ironic French ending. It's less about a heist and much more about rich character development and brilliant photography on Parisian streets and bistros. Very good,