Stavisky...

Movies with Jean-Paul Belmondo sometimes suffer from the fact that audiences have become accustomed to seeing Belmondo in one single box, and anything that deviates from that receives criticism and misunderstanding. Unfortunately, I must point out here that the criticism is fully justified because Resnais did a poor job with it, resulting in a boring and lifeless film, where the main character lacks the charisma of the real Stavisky, despite Belmondo's efforts to imprint his usual charm. Resnais tries to portray his hero as someone who has believed too much in his own lies and plays his role regardless of the risks and the approaching end. The film lacks many things, including a more prominent female character or Belmondo's counterpart. Here, Resnais' hero is depicted as a victim of the system, and although there is some truth to it, I have seen many films where a similar theme is portrayed in a much more convincing manner. Overall impression: 40%. (23.03.2014)