Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Get 2 for 1 cinema tickets with Orange Click Here

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

Shoot the Piano Player (1960)

Director: François Truffaut

5
Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out New York

Often overlooked, Truffaut’s wonderful second film—sandwiched between art-house evergreens The Four Hundred Blows and Jules and Jim—stars Charles Aznavour, master of the chanson, in his only collaboration with the director. The slight singer-songwriter, playing Charlie, an ivory-tickler at a dive who abandoned his career as a famous concert pianist after a family tragedy, may not be as indelibly associated with Truffaut as Jean-Pierre Léaud’s Antoine Doinel, but he’s just as heartbreaking.

Truffaut said that Shoot the Piano Player was made in reaction to The Four Hundred Blows, which he deemed “so French,” adding that he “needed to show that I had been influenced by American cinema.” An adaptation of David Goodis’s 1956 novel, Down There, this film more than nods to noir: Charlie is on the lam because he killed in self-defense; his kid brother, Fido (curly-haired wild child Richard Kanayan), has been kidnapped by two nitwits cheated out of a deal by Charlie and Fido’s thug siblings; Charlie’s new steady, Léna (Dubois), is a devoted dame. The homage, of course, is invigorated by the New Waver’s own flourishes, like Boby Lapointe’s bouncy performance of “Framboise” at Charlie’s bar.

And then there’s that tiny piano man. Though it seems almost cruel that Aznavour never sings in the film, he most poignantly conveys profound sadness—stemming from a crazy family, betrayal, loss and squashed hope—during those moments when he never opens his mouth.

Author: Melissa Anderson 2008-09-02 17:40:39

Time Out New York Issue 675: September 4 -September 10, 2008


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend
Get 2 for 1 cinema tickets with Orange Click Here

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Top Stories

Ang Lee talks 'Taking Woodstock'

Ang Lee talks 'Taking Woodstock'

Ang Lee talks to Tom Huddleston about his tale of the men behind history’s greatest music festival

Hippies who work for The Man

Hippies who work for The Man

To celebrate George Clooney comedy 'The Men who Stare at Goats', we look back at six memorable onscreen hippies who fought the system from within

Roland Emmerich's guide to disaster movies

Roland Emmerich's guide to disaster movies

Ahead of the release of '2012', Roland Emmerich offers his ten tips on creating the perfect global catastrophe

Grant Heslov: interview

Grant Heslov: interview

Grant Heslov, director of 'The Men who Stare at Goats' talks about his old pal George Clooney, his interest in the paranormal, and his fond memories of working on 'Happy Days'

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’

Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?

Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?

Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer

Michael Haneke: The man behind the menace

Michael Haneke: The man behind the menace

From Cannes to Munich to London, Dave Calhoun tours Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'

How Jane Campion brought John Keats back to life

How Jane Campion brought John Keats back to life

Time Out gets Romantic with the ‘difficult’ New Zealander about her new film, 'Bright Star'

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations