Rufianes y tramposos

“You call those heavy casualties? We haven’t even lost a full nine out of ten men yet." Is the similarity with Kelly’s Heroes purely incidental? I sincerely doubt it. But this goes at it from other end. It takes the bank-gold-journey route. But it’s all the same in the end. The only important thing here is that the well-concerted crew surrounding Henri Verneuil returns to make a movie in Africa, twenty years on (too bad that without Ventura, who would have been great here). The Vultures was a pleasant shock for me in several respects. I was expecting a “shoot your hundred nameless Nazis" war movie mixed with a comic tone produced mainly by Villeret. But the result is quite an intimate picture with some great cynical lines, showing the rivalry between a few cunning brutes in their quest for a fortune. The inspiration from westerns is obvious. The characters here look like they came out of an unnamed masterpiece by Leone. And everybody is plotting against everybody else. This movie shows us a fifty-one year-old Belmondo during a period of five years when he filmed his best movies ever (The Professional, Hold-Up) and a sixty-four-year old Verneuil still not afflicted by senility. The Vultures works in all respects and very little separates it from getting a full set of stars. Just the middle part. You see, the introduction enthuses you, then the pace drops for a while and about forty minutes before the end, gold appears on the scene and things really start getting going. Add to that an unexpected twist or two, shootouts, a catchy musical theme, a wild bunch and, most importantly, good honest to goodness guy fun. (30.01.2008)

It should be noted that the plot is a bit far-fetched, but within the framework of an adventure war comedy that doesn't pretend to be anything more than a pleasant and purely relaxing film, it easily gets lost, especially when the film is excellently cast and well-executed. The presence of Jean-Paul Belmondo in the lead role is very helpful, as he portrays a traditionally charismatic and likable hero who has an ambiguous position between a courageous soldier, an occasional thief, a cynical seducer, and a friend. He is supported by a group of talented actors led by Jacques Villeret, and it is generally a film where even small roles are played by great actors. Clever dialogues and a series of unexpected twists, together with an interesting point, make the film a timeless spectacle. It may not be a perfect 5 stars, but compared to how today's filmmakers imagine comedy, I eventually lean toward giving it the fifth star. Overall impression: 90%. (06.05.2010)