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The Crime of Monsieur Lange Photos

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Movie Info

Director Jean Renoir's social commentary, heavily influenced by the French political spirit of the 1930s, concerns Amédée Lange (René Lefèvre), a publishing house clerk who pens Western dime-novels in his spare time. When his unscrupulous boss, Batala (Jules Berry), gives his debt collectors the slip by pretending to be dead, Lange and his co-workers take over the business themselves and thrive on the popularity of Lange's pulp stories until Batala returns to demand his share of the profits.

Genre:

comedy, drama
Original Language:

French (Canada)
Director:

Jean Renoir
Release Date (Theaters):

Nov 17, 2017 limited
Box Office (Gross USA):

$35.6K
Runtime:

1h 30m

Cast & Crew

René Lefèvre
Amédée Lange

Jules Berry
Batala

Florelle
Valentine

Jean Renoir
Director

Critic Reviews for The Crime of Monsieur Lange

All Critics (19) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (19)

What elevates "Lange" is its wide range of idiosyncratic, delightful characters, its belief in humanity in all its crazy variety, and its abundance of high spirits and raffish charm that are absolutely contagious.

November 21, 2017 | Full Review…

Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Its glittering bustle of motion and character always offers new and piercing details.

November 14, 2017 | Full Review…

Alan Scherstuhl
Village Voice
One of Renoir's most completely delightful movies.

February 9, 2006 | Full Review…

Geoff Andrew
Time Out
It spins a loose and nondescript story, which ranges uncertainly between romantic comedy and solemn melodrama, about a publishing enterprise in which an author of cheap French Western fiction is the pivotal element.

May 9, 2005 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Rich and complex.

March 27, 2005 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

Zach Campbell
Slant Magazine
Underrated musical that is defiantly political but in a surprisingly intimate and character-driven way.

May 13, 2001 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

David Parkinson
Empire Magazine
Beautiful to look at and wickedly funny at times, this is certainly one of Renoir's most under-appreciated works.

May 27, 2020 | Full Review…

Steven Prokopy
Third Coast Review
Renoir uses a collection of vivid, colourful and lively characters to paint a rich and glorious picture of a mutual society.

October 30, 2018 | Full Review…

Rob Aldam
Backseat Mafia
Renoir's happy, goofy, giddy, and, yes, awe-inspiring [comedy] is a timeless marvel. The only good reason this warm, rollicking, political and politically sophisticated comedy is [lesser-known] is that it's been out of circulation for years.

January 9, 2018 | Rating: 10/10 | Full Review…

Ray Pride
Newcity
For a film so resolute in its efforts to portray an idealized community based on mutuality and shared concern, in the end, Le Crime de Monsieur Lange sends us careening.

November 16, 2017 | Full Review…

Chadwick Jenkins
PopMatters
One of director Jean Renoir's most delightful comedies.

January 28, 2010 | Full Review…

Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
The film has some memorable characterizations and depicts adult situations with a much greater frankness than Hollywood was allowed at the time. Despite its clear moral exploration, however, the 78-minute running time is too brief for the film to become m

June 15, 2007 | Rating: 3/5

Douglas Pratt
DVDLaser

View All Critic Reviews (19)

Audience Reviews for The Crime of Monsieur Lange

Jan 15, 2008

fast-moving story about a child-man's fantasy life awaking his neighbors in solidarity; the bad guy's fantasy life becomes hiding in a priest costume & stealing

Adam M Super Reviewer