Canicule (1984)

Director:

Yves Boisset

Writers:

Jean Herman (novel)
Jean Herman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 January 1984 (France)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A vicious slice of prime cut action! [Video Australia]

Plot:

A fugitive on the run from the law and carrying several million dollars hides out in the house of a farm family...

Plot Keywords:

Farm | Fugitive | On The Run | Erotica | Vulgarity

Cast

Lee Marvin	...	Jimmy Cobb
Miou-Miou	...	Jessica
Jean Carmet	...	Socrate
Victor Lanoux	...	Horace
David Bennent	...	Chim
Bernadette Lafont	...	Ségolène
Grace De Capitani	...	Lily
Tina Louise	...	Noémie Blue
Muni	...	Gusta
Jean-Claude Dreyfus	...	Le Barrec
Juliette Mills	...	Maggy
Julien Bukowski	...	Rojinski
Jean-Roger Milo	...	Julio
Joseph Momo	...	Doudou Cadillac
Henri Guybet	...	Marceau
Pierre Clémenti	...	Snake (as Pierre Clementi)
Jean-Pierre Kalfon	...	Marcel Torontopoulos
Myriam Salvodi	...	Mamelles Adenauer
Inger Ekbom	...	Campeuse
Lillemour Jonsson	...	Campeuse
Jean Cherlian
Mohamed Bekhtaoui	...	Saïd
Chrystel	...	Strip-tease

Directed by
Yves Boisset

Writing credits
Jean Herman		(novel) (as Jean Vautrin)
Jean Herman		(screenplay) and
Michel Audiard		(screenplay) and
Dominique Roulet		(screenplay) and
Serge Korber		(screenplay) and
Yves Boisset		(screenplay)
Michel Audiard		(dialogue)

Produced by
Norbert Saada	....	producer

Original Music by
Francis Lai

Cinematography by
Jean Boffety

Film Editing by
Albert Jurgenson
Nadine Muse

Production Design by
Jacques Dugied

Set Decoration by
Chantal Giuliani

Production Management
Guy Azzi	....	production manager

Sound Department
Joël Beldent	....	sound mixer (as Joel Belldent)
Jean-Louis Ducarme	....	sound
Jacques Maumont	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
Nadine Muse	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Rémy Julienne	....	stunt coordinator (as RemyJulienne)

Production Companies

• Cinétélé Productions
• Swanie Productions
• TF1 Films Production
• Top n°1
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC)

Distributors

• Ascot Filmverleih (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• EuroVideo (1985) (West Germany) (VHS)
• U.G.C. Worldwide Distribution (1984) (worldwide) (all media)

Also Known As:

Dog Day (USA)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M (video rating) | West Germany:18 (nf) | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Australia:R

Company:

Cinétélé Productions

Jimmy Cobb and the Jacques

Canicule has the distinct aroma of tax write off and trip to France for Lee Marvin in one of his last and least films of his career.

Marvin plays American bank robber Jimmy Cobb who is on the run and now in France. The French authorities want this guy bad, they're even armed to the teeth. The beginning is a homage to Sam Peckinpaugh and The Wild Bunch with a shootout on the Paris streets where a whole lot of people get themselves killed in a botched attempt to take Marvin.

Lee's on the loose with the loot from a bank job that was obviously committed in America because it's in dollars as opposed to francs. But he manages to get to the Normandy countryside where he falls into the hands of a family of farmers who've got their own ideas about him and his loot and his reputation. And by no means is it unanimous.

Canicule is a French attempt to make an American style gangster film and they're not bad at it when doing things like Lemmy Caution with American expatriate Eddie Constantine. This one could have used the real Sam Peckinpaugh however directing this mostly French cast of players with Lee Marvin and Tina Louise. The dubbing and editing is hardly first rate. Marvin is in bad health which the camera plainly shows.

As another reviewer stated Gorky Park is a far better film. That and Death Hunt are the last two really great films Lee Marvin made.