(Jean-Pierre Melville, France 1955, 100 min., French/subtitles)

This lighthearted, playful, romantic casino caper flick was the first in a series of stylish films noir made by French director Melville in tribute to the classic American genre of the ’40s and ’50s. Here, the influence is clearly Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle, as Bob, an old gambler and gangster strapped for cash, assembles a team of professional hoods to rob a well-guarded casino.