Un Temoin Dans La Ville (aka A Witness In The City) (1959)

After he tires of her, a man (Jacques Berthier) kills his mistress (Francoise Brion) by pushing her off a train. He is acquitted of her murder by the French courts so the woman's husband (Lino Ventura) kills her lover in vengeance and makes it look like suicide. However, leaving the scene of the crime, he is seen by a taxi driver (Franco Fabrizi) and his attempt to cover up his crime leads to more deaths. Directed by Edouard Molinaro (LA CAGE AUX FOLLES), this slice of French film noir is pretty good but not great. In fact, there are far better French noirs around. This is not to negate this movie's effectiveness, it's just that it lacks that certain something that would elevate it. Surely, Ventura's character, who had planned the killing of his unfaithful wife's lover ever so carefully, would quickly realize the futility of his mission to eliminate his potential witness. Fabrizi's cab driver is rather obnoxious which makes him hard to like so we're not as invested in him as we would be for a more likable character. The best thing about the film is the marvelous B&W (most of the movie takes place at night) cinematography by the great Henri Decae (LE SAMOURAI), full of contrast and shadows. With Sandra Milo, Daniel Ceccaldi, Dora Doll and Robert Dalban