What it’s about
Former concert pianist Charlie Kohler (Aznavour) makes a living playing honky-tonk in a rundown bistro, far from the klieg lights of his onetime fame as Edouard Saroyan. But after he helps his brothers Richard (Aslanian) and Chico (Remy) escape from gangsters they’ve double-crossed, Charlie finds himself in the limelight once again as a target.
Why we love it
This quirky crime film by the great Truffaut mixes sight-gag comedy with suspense, resulting in a superbly nutty homage to the 1940s film noirs he so admired. French crooner Aznavour is terrific as the timid keyboardist on the outs with the mob. Filling the screen with inventive visuals and advancing an ad-hoc plotline with plenty of false digressions, Truffaut gives this tale the exhilarating feel of a spontaneous spoof. Based on the novel by David Goodis, “Player” is a brilliant tribute to the spirit of noir and the French New Wave.