Any Number Can Win (Mélodie en Sous-Sol)

In collaboration with the French Institute of Greece.

Directed by: Henri Verneuil
Starring: Jean Gabin, Alain Delon, Viviane Romance, Claude Cerval
Duration: 118 minutes
Year of Production: 1963

In early 1960s France, Jean Gabin stood as a flagbearer of the unparalleled cinema that the Nouvelle Vague temporarily replaced, while Alain Delon led the next generation of actors. Henri Verneuil was fortunate to bring them together for the first time on screen — and Delon was eager, almost desperate, to get the role initially intended for Jean-Louis Trintignant.

Watching the two today, with a clear sense of both their stature (undoubtedly the most prominent French male actors of all time), carries a certain charm and awe, which Verneuil’s delicate lightness masterfully balances as if fully aware of the symbolic passing of the baton happening before his camera. It is remarkable how effortlessly (as always) Gabin acts alongside his “son,” and how Delon marries youthful swagger with respectful discipline in scenes with his “father.”

Even if you don’t want to play the generational succession game, the story of an ambitious heist in Monte Carlo remains delightful, decisively French in its charm, nodding to the pessimism of Killing (1956), blending sophistication with popular appeal, an airy style that never condescends to its characters, and a meticulous narrative that unfolds a richly layered window into the unforgettable cinematic world of the ’60s. Ilias Dimopoulos