Brilliant crime thriller and based also on a brilliant novel, the novel of my favourite
writer of Crime - Patricia Highsmith and her 1954 "The Blunderer" only her third
novel after Strangers on a Train and Carol. This psychological crime thriller is as
Noir as it gets but not as well known as many of her other novels.
And, with one of my favourite actors Gert Froebe in one of the main roles, known
i.a. for being Mr. Goldfinger and his German Dr. Mabuse and Krimi films.

Penguin 1988 pocket edition

In the film's intro we get to see a man grabbing a woman from a bus, forcing her into
the bush and then stabbing her to death.
The man is Kimmel (Gert Froebe) he's running a Bookshop and the murdered woman
was his wife Helene and she had just decided to leave him.

Walter Saccard (Maurice Ronet) is an architect unhappily married to his wife Clara
(Yvonne Furneaux) and he wants to divorce her but she stubbornly refuses. He
has read the newspapers and followed the Kimmel case with great interest, a case
where Mr. Kimmel was aquitted due to having an alibi for the time of the murder.
Walter starts thinking about murdering Clara and using the same alibi as he thinks
Kimmel used. Visit a Cinema and leave by the backdoor, kill his wife at the Bus-Stop
and returning to the Cinema.

Walter starts visiting the Libraire (Bookseller) and when another death occurs the
French Police re-opens the case, and Robert Hossein plays the inspector.
Kimmel starts to take notice about Saccard, and he's not happy.

The Great Gert Froebe gives a fascinating performance as Mr. Kimmel and he steal
every scene he's in. A King Actor and may be the best James Bond Villain ever.

Film presented in widescreen 2.35:1, french audio DTS-HD MA 2.0 with english
subtitles - region A. Extras:
Audio commentary with film historians David Del Valle and Dana M. Reemes
Theatrical trailer