"The Bay Of Angels" (1963)
A brisk, fascinating look at a young Parisian bank teller who falls into the gambling life, taking his holiday on the Riviera and losing his moorings in the heady world of high-stakes roulette. His lodestone is Jeanne Moreau, a tattered beauty who has been immersed in gambling much longer, and fallen much farther. The film has the same headlong, random, compulsive drama as the tables themselves, and the ending is as abrupt and arbitrary as the roll of the dice. Directed by Jacques Demy, this is both a rollercoaster ride and a dip in icy cold water, mildly nauseating but riveting as well. Moreau's performance is remarkable, as are her transformations from slattern to femme fatale and back again. New Wave noir at its finest!

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