Tchao Pantin (or So Long, Stooge as it is sometimes called) doesn’t do anything fresh or original within the noir (or neo-noir as it is sometimes called) genre. It doesn’t go in any new or surprising directions. Its few twists are easy to guess. And yet I loved it. It does what it does really well. It is stylish, well-acted, and strangely sentimental.
Buy Tchao Pantin Blu-rayThe only real surprising thing about it is that Colouche performed the lead role. He was a comedian who had never taken any sort of serious acting role, and so giving him the lead in this neo-noir as a burned-out, rummy, gas station attendant who seeks a violent revenge was a huge gamble. It paid off in spades as he is excellent in it. He won a César for it. They say in France to this day when a comedic actor takes on a serious dramatic role they say, “C’est son Tchao Pantin.”
His character is called Lambert and he’s the kind of guy we’ve seen in a hundred other films. He’s a man with a past. A man who wants to remain invisible. Who has no connections to anyone. Who wants to forget, and does so with a bottle of rum. He works nights at a small gas station. He makes enough money to keep himself in a rundown flat and keep the bottles full.
One night, Bensoussan (Richard Anconina) pops into his station. He’s a pusher, a low-level heroin dealer, who lives just around the corner. A cop car with its lights flashing is outside. He’s clearly on the run. He acts casual. Says he needs a spark plug for his bike. Lambert pretends he doesn’t see the cop car. He chats with Bensoussan amiably and lets him stay until the cop car passes. Bensoussan reminds him of his son.
The next day Bensoussan stops by again. He helps out with a customer while Lambert fixes his breakfast. The two chat and become friends. The cold, hard Lambert lets someone into his heart. Bensoussan discovers a much-needed father figure. He meets a girl, Lola (Agnès Soral). She’s into the punk scene and likes Bensoussan’s motorcycle. Later, she’ll help with the revenging.
But for a long while, not a whole lot happens. We follow these characters in their sad little lives. They talk and work, eat and sleep. It is beautifully shot by cinematographer Bruno Nuytten. Much of it takes place in dark rooms or the rainy streets of Paris at night. The lighting is dark but never black. Though Paris is one of the most beautiful cities, we hardly see anything recognizable. This isn’t a tourist film, but one lived in by people who’ve never climbed the Eiffel Tower or visited the Louvre.
Then tragedy occurs, and the film takes its inevitable turn into violent revenge. I won’t spoil anything, although if you’ve ever seen a film noir or even a couple of thrillers you will know exactly where this film is going. But it works beautifully. I was completely on board with it for (nearly) every step of the way (the almost ending does something that I suppose was meant to be crowd-pleasing or at least sort of happy, but it felt completely out of place for the characters – luckily it then takes a dark turn and lets you forget that misstep).
I’ve never seen Colouche in anything so his turn from comedian to dramatic actor isn’t particularly surprising to me, but he is excellent in the role. There is a deep sadness residing inside that character and we feel it every time he is on screen. But there is a kindness and a love there too, which slowly gets pulled out by Bensoussan at first and then Lola.
While the overall story is something I’ve seen many times before, the film has a specificity about it that I love. It gets the details just exactly right. In one scene, Lola comes over to Bensoussan’s flat. He immediately puts his moves on her and she says she needs to wash off her lipstick so it won’t smear. He looks around for something she can use and only finds a dirty dish towel. But it has one corner that looks clean so she can use that. A perfect encapsulation of a lonely bachelor pad.
Within her punk crowd, there is a guy who clearly likes her, and has probably slept with her, but she keeps him at arm’s length. He has just a few short scenes, but the film paints their relationship with such detail that we get a good understanding of their relationship. They way they talk to each other and her body language toward him is perfect.
The entire film is full of these little details that turn what could be a perfectly average film into a great one.
Radiance Fims presents Tchao Pantin with a new 4K restoration overseen by the cinematographer. Extras include a wonderful documentary that digs deep into the making of the film, new subtitles, and a full-color booklet with an essay on the film from Manuela Lazic.
