Happy New Year (1973)

He tried a harsher approach in this introspective comedy caper flick but, as the relationship between Ventura and Fabian proves, he could never resist the roses.

"La Bonne Annee" starts with Simon(Lino Ventura) getting a New Year's parole from jail which stops him from doing anything desperate like his fellow inmate who goes for the old fake gun trick. On the outside, the changes go beyond just his apartment as he finds that he can no longer tell the women from the men at his old favorite nightclub. Seven years previously, things were simpler when he was planning a jewelry heist with Charlot(Charles Gerard) in Cannes when a parallax occurs. The only question is whether it is a blonde or a brunette one. "La Bonne Annee" is a mediocre combined heist movie/romantic comedy. The problems with the movie run deeper than just a leaden pace and a miscast Lino Ventura. Usually he is fine when playing a tough guy but not so much here trying to play a more cerebral type of criminal. Director Claude Lelouch also is guilty of being too academic here with his thoughts on reality versus fantasy that start with the movie within a movie that begins this movie. Then, you have Simon and Charlot also playing other roles in going undercover for the heist. I did like it during a conversation about movies when Simon says he takes risks in deciding which movies to watch. But sometimes like this one, the risk does not pay off.