See a Johnnie To Preview
Johnnie To is an admirer of French crime film director Jean-Pierre Melville, and one of his long-awaited projects is a remake of Melville’s THE RED CIRCLE, an ultra-spare, ultra-stylized heist film from 1970. Although the project is now said to be delayed, you can get an idea of what he’s going to be doing with the current FRENCH CRIME WAVE series running at Film Forum, and soon to come to an end.
The most Johnnie To-esque movies still to come are the August 28 double feature of UN FLIC & SICILIAN CLAN. UN FLIC is Melville’s last completed movie, a heist film that feels like Johnnie To at his best, only everyone’s speaking French. And THE SICILIAN CLAN is an ultra-violent thriller that’s barely available on home video.
Also, don’t miss Henri-Georges Clouzot’s QUAI DES ORFEVRES. Clouzot is better know for directing DIABOLIQUE but QUAI is a better movie by far. A double-crossing, back-stabbing, love you/hate you, quasi-lesbionic, cuckold crazy, murder mystery it’s also, of all things, a Christmas movie. Sort of like a poisonous little antidote to IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.