Can a safe cracker go straight?
“Two Men in Town” is Jose Giovanni’s damning indictment of the death penalty and a criminal system that destroys humanity. Alain Delon plays an ex-con who is paroled after serving 10 years behind bars. He can’t live in the city, so he takes a quiet home in the country. While trying to make peace, his wife is killed and the con finds himself being drawn back into the life. Delon fights against the temptation, all while under the guise of a local cop who hates his guts.
I love French crime dramas from this era, as they attack issues that I feel belong uniquely to crime fiction. Redemption weighed against the end of a life. Whether that end be murder or incarceration, you will feel Delon’s world shrink around him due to forces beyond his control. For the Gerard Depardieu fans out there, look out for an early film role as one of the country criminals trying to push Delon back into safe cracking. Jean Gabin delivers a stunning supporting turn, as the only man that believes in Delon’s attempt to reform.
The Blu-Ray comes with a commentary track and trailers as the special features. The real star is the stunning 4K restoration. The 1080p transfer pops for a quiet film from the early 1970s. The LPCM 2.0 track supports the dialogue, but it doesn’t set the world on fire. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.
RELEASE DATE: 11/10/2015