Jean-Pierre Melville's Bob le Flambeur is a character study of the titular gambler (Duchesne). As the movie begins, we see him enjoy hefty winnings from a racetrack bet only to lose it all on roulette that night. Out of money and burdened with debt, he collects a team of thieves to help him complete a heist on a casino. But things don't go as planned.
The movie has alternately been described as a film noir and a precursor to the French New Wave, preceding both Godard and Truffaut. I can see elements of both, but I feel that they embody opposite ideals and disparate moods. One deals in archetypes, the other in innovation; one in seediness, the other in rejuvenation. The movie has a fractured tone as a result, and prevented me from really getting into it.
Plot-wise, much of the movie reminded me of Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven. Where that movie had slick editing, this one had amateurish camerawork. Where that had wit and cleverness, this has the occasional stray joke and just one real surprise. The acting is bare-bones and basic, serving the story instead of the characters. But despite all those negatives, this movie has a truly remarkable ending that almost makes up for its technical flaws. Almost.
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047892/