The Sleeping Car Murder

Straightforward detective thriller (adapted from a whodunit by Sébastien Japrisot), made by Costa-Gavras - his first film - before he climbed on his political bandwagon. The plot is pure Agatha Christie as the witnesses to a murder on a train are picked off one by one, but at least the characters inhabit the 20th century and are beautifully played (especially Signoret as the obligatory ageing actress, and Piccoli as a furtive lecher). The ending is one of those ingenious absurdities that haunt the genre, but the lively pace and attention to detail make up for the implausibility.