Coup de torchon

Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Cast: Philippe Noiret, Isabelle Huppert, Stéphane Audran
France, 128’, 1981, color
French, English with Turkish subtitles

An inspired rendering of Jim Thompson's pulp novel Pop. 1280, Bertrand Tavernier's Coup de torchon deftly transplants the story of an inept police chief- turned-heartless killer and his scrappy mistress from the American South to French West Africa. Featuring pitch-perfect performances by Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert, this striking neo-noir straddles the line between violence and lyricism with dark humor and visual elegance.

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