Shoot the Piano Player

François Truffaut

1960

92 minutes

Wikipedia link

IMDB link

This film is a little bit boring and disappointing considering your expectations for it. It's not bad, but it's not great when you compare it to something like Elevator to the Gallows or any film by Melville. It stars very famous singer-songwriter Charles Aznavour and it was directed by Francois Truffaut and it's French neo-noir, so it's quite easy to fall short of expectations. It's a bit like if you had Otto Preminger direct a noir film where Frank Sinatra plays a former heroin addict or something. Expectations can be pretty sky-high, but they can't all be winners.

You're not going to hate this or anything, but you will spend most of it wishing you were just listening to some Charles Aznavour songs. Oh well.

Time to choose something different:

• They shot a lot more than just piano players in the Holocaust... - Turn to section 167
• This was very...atmospheric. I can see why someone might be attracted to the dark glow of the mountains, or even the streetlights... - Turn to section 95
• Shooting the piano player seems a step too far. Could we maybe just bully the violinist instead? - Turn to section 48