Actor Roger Pigaut made a handful of films: the first one, "le cerf-volant du bout du monde" , was aimed at the children's market :it is one of the most successful film of its kind ;helped by Henri Alekan's splendid cinematography and his young actors' spontaneity.
But his other works are thrillers : the first one, "comptes à rebours " (= countdown) has a dream of a cast, with the creme de la creme of French actors (check the cast and credits) ; the outline may seem trite, nay simplistic: the gangster who was betrayed by one of his accomplices (he does not know who) and was jailed for ten years ;but actually,the screenplay is more complicated;it takes 35 minutes before you know the ex-convict's position : it's told by Léa (Signoret) ,and without a single flashback at that ; but the key to the mystery is given by an one-eyed Michel Bouquet; some characters who might seem insignificant (Moreau,Dessailly) actually play a prominent part in the avenger 's (Reggiani) story .
He would continue in that vein, with some of the actors of this film (Bouquet, Bozzuffi) in "trois milliards sans ascenceur".
Directing is nervy and makes up for the numerous unlikelihoods of the script ; there are good scenes :the elevator , the card play, the train, the killer "Narcisse" watching a Punch and Judy show among kids.
But his other works are thrillers : the first one, "comptes à rebours " (= countdown) has a dream of a cast, with the creme de la creme of French actors (check the cast and credits) ; the outline may seem trite, nay simplistic: the gangster who was betrayed by one of his accomplices (he does not know who) and was jailed for ten years ;but actually,the screenplay is more complicated;it takes 35 minutes before you know the ex-convict's position : it's told by Léa (Signoret) ,and without a single flashback at that ; but the key to the mystery is given by an one-eyed Michel Bouquet; some characters who might seem insignificant (Moreau,Dessailly) actually play a prominent part in the avenger 's (Reggiani) story .
He would continue in that vein, with some of the actors of this film (Bouquet, Bozzuffi) in "trois milliards sans ascenceur".
Directing is nervy and makes up for the numerous unlikelihoods of the script ; there are good scenes :the elevator , the card play, the train, the killer "Narcisse" watching a Punch and Judy show among kids.