Mike D'Angelo’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
76/100
Addressed (albeit only w/r/t one key scene) in my piece about Film Forum's Michel Piccoli retro. In the 18 years since my sole previous viewing, I'd completely forgotten what a deft fake-out this movie is, creating the false impression that Belmondo's "finger man" is a Machiavellian sociopath and then revealing that he'd been stealthily working on his buddy's behalf all along. The twist hits that unexpected-yet-inevitable sweet spot in large part because Le Doulos would be stellar even without it—a mercilessly clinical portrait of dishonor among thieves, shot in deep shadow and anchored by Belmondo's curdled insouciance and Ruggieri's soulful anxiety. Final scene's tragic irony is a little cute for my taste, but that's counterbalanced by Piccoli's remarkable showcase (see link), in which he stares near-certain death in the face without flinching.
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