Verdict
Summary
Based on a novel and nicely produced and directed by an uncredited Delon and Robin Davis, who apparently clashed with Deneuve who refused to be directed by him, Le Choc is a slick thriller with solid performances, and a nail-biting pace that never lets up, even unto its final moments. The score by Philippe Sarde is fantastic and gives the film a groovy beat, and the movie has a happy ending, which was unexpected and welcome. This is a solid hit man thriller with two superstar leads, and it moves quickly at 98 minutes. The 2015 film The Gunman with Sean Penn is based on the same book.
Plot:
An assassin tries to retire but is forced back in by his employer.
Review:
Martin (Alain Delon) is a middle aged, high-in-demand assassin who has accrued a reputation for being the very best in his field, and also the highest paid. After reaching his limit, he is tired and weary of all the killing and the intense isolation of his work, and so he goes to his employer, a shady character with endless means to make his life a living hell if he so chose to, and Martin says he is done. He quits. Not accepting this, his employer waits a few days, giving him a head start to think everything is fine, before unleashing almost more than Martin can handle. Retreating to a turkey farm he recently purchased in the countryside as a side business, Martin meets the woman who runs the place, an abused and beautiful woman named Claire (Catherine Deneuve) whose husband is an alcoholic deadbeat, and when Martin and Claire sleep together, they form an unbreakable bond that is severely put to the test when other assassins come to either kill or capture him to force him back into the life. He finds his entire saved fortune has been stolen, and he has no choice but to perform one final job, but of course after the job is done he knows he will be killed – as will Claire – if he doesn’t tap into the skills that make him a great assassin. He turns the tables and goes hunting.
Based on a novel and nicely produced and directed by an uncredited Delon and Robin Davis, who apparently clashed with Deneuve who refused to be directed by him, Le Choc is a slick thriller with solid performances, and a nail-biting pace that never lets up, even unto its final moments. The score by Philippe Sarde is fantastic and gives the film a groovy beat, and the movie has a happy ending, which was unexpected and welcome. This is a solid hit man thriller with two superstar leads, and it moves quickly at 98 minutes. The 2015 film The Gunman with Sean Penn is based on the same book.
Kino Lorber brings Le Choc to Blu-ray in a crisp high definition transfer, and an audio commentary by two journalists is included, as well as the trailer.
