Zwei Männer in Manhattan (1959)

Zwei Männer in Manhattan: Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. With Pierre Grasset, Christiane Eudes, Ginger Hall, Colette Fleury. A French UN delegate has disappeared into thin air, sending reporter Moreau (Jean-Pierre Melville) and hard drinking photographer Delmas (Pierre Grasset) on an assignment to find him. Their only lead is a picture of three women.

“For a director whose best films are absolute masterclasses in tone, this one takes a while to find its voice.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA French UN delegate goes missing in New York City, and a French reporter (played by Melville himself) and his photographer friend go on the hunt by tracking down three women, one of whom is suspected to be his mistress.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI love a good mystery, especially one shot on location in late-50u0026#39;s New York, and the u0026quot;over the course of a single nightu0026quot; conceit can be delightful. But the characters initially read flat, and the stakes feel nonexistent until we get towards the end of the story. Once certain charactersu0026#39; true colors are revealed, it becomes a treatise on the moral responsibility of journalists and storytellers, and, Melville being Melville, French WWII resistance comes into play. Itu0026#39;s not terribly nuanced, but itu0026#39;s an effective moral tale, revealing the same sort of deep humanism that underlies Army of Shadows.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eVisually, itu0026#39;s a strange, inconsistent blend. Much feels amateurish, like a quickly-shot newsreel, which isnu0026#39;t inconsistent with the sorts of noir and noir-tinged 40u0026#39;s and 50u0026#39;s American urban films Melville is riffing on (The Naked City looms particularly large). But it doesnu0026#39;t feel quite in the wheelhouse a director whose use of meticulous, almost meditative cinematography is a distinct calling card.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThat said, there are some incredible shots, including a slow tracking shot in a jazz studio, which is now near the top of my u0026quot;scenes featuring musical performances where itu0026#39;s clear theyu0026#39;re actually playing the musicu0026quot; list.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOverall, itu0026#39;s a less essential entry in the Jean-Pierre Melville catalog. But if youu0026#39;ve watched the big ones, and want to see a great director directing himself in a good movie, check it out.”