Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
An aging gangster, Fernand Naudin is hoping for a quiet retirement when he suddenly inherits a fortune from an old friend, a former gangster supremo known as the Mexican. If he is ambivalent about his new found wealth, Fernand is positively nonplussed to discover that he has also inherited his benefactor’s daughter, Patricia. Unfortunately, not only does Fernand have to put up with the thoroughly modern Patricia and her nauseating boyfriend, but he also had to contend with the Mexican’s trigger-happy former employees, who are determined to make a claim.
Crooks in Clover (Maigret voit rouge is sometimes confused, but this is the Lautner/Audiard film 'Les Tontons flingueurs') is a beloved French polar comedy elevated enormously by Michel Audiard's legendary, witty dialogue and a superb ensemble cast led by Lino Ventura, Bernard Blier, and Francis Blanche. The acting is genuinely exceptional — the kitchen scene alone is a masterclass in comic timing and became iconic in French cinema. The plot itself is a fairly conventional gangster inheritance romp, competent but not especially intricate. Cinematography is solid black-and-white work of the era, functional and stylish without being visually revolutionary. Novelty is above average — Audiard's argot-heavy, razor-sharp scripting gives the film a truly distinctive voice that remains singular in French comedy-crime cinema. The ending is satisfying and tonally consistent but not a standout conclusion.