Actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933)

The film Hold-Up (1985) is a Franco-Canadian crime comedy, featuring Jean-Paul Belmondo in the lead role and directed by Alexandre Arcady. As a clown, the cunning thief Grimm executes a heist at Montreal’s most secure bank, holding 30 hostages. While entertaining the police with his odd antics, he successfully empties the bank of its wealth. However, an unhappy accomplice causes complications…

The French crime film, Backfire (1964), helmed by Jean Becker, features renowned actors Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. David, a Parisian man, is offered $10,000 by a criminal group to transport a vehicle from one end of Europe to the other. Despite their assurance that there are no drugs involved, they provide David with minimal information. On his journey, he is joined by Olga, a photographer. However, David soon uncovers the true contents of his cargo: gold bars. As they make their way through Beirut and Damascus ...

Magnet of Doom (1963) is a French noir film, helmed by Jean-Pierre Melville and adapted from the novel of the same name by Georges Simenon. In Paris, Michel Maudet – an ex-soldier and aspiring boxer – suffers a defeat in his first major match, leading to him being fired by his manager. In need of work, he responds to an advertisement for a male secretary with a willingness to travel and is immediately hired by Dieudonné Ferchaux, the senior partner of a struggling bank who has a criminal background. Without informing his girlfriend Lina, whom he leaves without ...

Adapted from Pierre Lesou’s novel of the same name, Jean-Pierre Melville’s French crime film Le Doulos (1962) follows Maurice Faugel as he reconnects with his friend Gilbert, who is appraising jewels from a recent heist. Eager to plan a robbery, Maurice enlists the help of Silien and Rémy. In a twist, Maurice ends up using Gilbert’s own gun to kill him and steal the jewels and a large sum of money. It turns out that Gilbert had killed Maurice’s girlfriend Arlette years ago to prevent her from talking to the police while Maurice was in prison. As ...

Léon Morin, Priest (1961) is a French drama film helmed by director Jean-Pierre Melville. The story is based on Béatrix Beck’s award-winning novel The Passionate Heart. Set during the Occupation of France, the film follows Barny, a single mother residing in a small town in the French Alps with her daughter France. To make ends meet, Barny works as an assignment corrector for a Parisian correspondence school that has relocated to their town. Grief-stricken by the loss of her Jewish husband in the war and lacking sexual satisfaction, she finds herself drawn ...

Breathless (1960) is a French New Wave crime drama film written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Michel, a youthful and dangerous criminal, idolizes the iconic Humphrey Bogart on screen. After escaping with a stolen car in Marseille, he fatally shoots a pursuing police officer on a country road. With no money or options, Michel seeks refuge with his American acquaintance Patricia – a student and aspiring journalist who sells newspapers on the streets of Paris. As they simultaneously navigate their attraction and plot their getaway to Italy, Patricia reveals she may be carrying ...