by Ted Davis

English Title: The Shock

Directed by: Robin Davis

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film as well as human nudity and violence.

Synopsis: Ultra-professional assassin-for-hire Martin Terrier aka Christian (Alain Delon) attempts to quit the criminal racket, having saved enough money to support a very comfortable retirement, but ‘The Organization’ is loathe to lose such a valuable resource and resorts to extreme and usually violent measures to convince him to remain with the firm. In his flight for freedom Terrier meets and falls for beautiful Claire (Catherine Deneuve), who is saddled with gross and temporarily inconvenient husband Felix (Philippe Leotard).

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): After performing a leisurely liquidation, Terrier returns home to his lavishly appointed apartment, joined moments later by his love-smitten girlfriend, the nubile Mathilde (Catherine Leprince), who brings Soudan, his treasured solid grey cat, who appears to be just out of the kitten stage.

Terrier informs Mathilde calmly that he’s leaving the city for good, that their affair is over, and that he’s keeping Soudan. After an incensed Mathilde storms out of the apartment, Soudan jumps on the sofa for a couple of moments of play with Terrier.

Before Terrier leaves to run some errands, he plants a kiss on Soudan’s furry head and refers to him affectionately as ‘my little pasha.’

Purr Blur: Terrier and his eccentric but competent financial advisor Jeannes Falques (Stephanie Audran) enter her lodgings, which are crowded with various and sundry animals (including a poor leopard who has been chained to a stairway!) They pass a black and white cat on a chair on the way to the room which Jeannes uses as an office.

Once at her desk, she lifts a large, longhaired white cat named Nini whom she then passes to Terrier so that she can consult her notes. Terrier is unable to manage the complaining cat and its flying fur (which comes into play as a clue later in the film) so he returns her quickly to Jeannes.

On returning to his recently ransacked apartment, Terrier calls for Soudan, but the cat is not at home. Terrier bursts into Mathilde’s flat, reclaiming Soudan from an uncomplaining male guest who is under the covers in her bed.

Arriving back in his apartment with his cat, Terrier is confronted by gunman Borevitch aka Boro (Feodor Atkin), who has the momentary upper hand. Terrier drops Soudan to the floor, and the cat wanders around the room in and out of frame for the rest of the sequence.

After a brief discussion between the two men, Mathilde enters the room and is ordered to her knees by Boro, who uses an unusual method to keep her silent while he demands The Organization’s last payment, a substantial one, made to Terrier.

The scrappy and loyal Soudan hops on the couch, emits a patented cat screech, appropriate for one of his size and temperament. This distracts the gunman, who swipes the valiant kitty off the back of the couch, allowing Terrier to strike.

Once the crisis passes, Mathilde faints to the floor, and is inspected by the purring Soudan.

Terrier realizes that he must go on the run to escape The Organization’s minions, which is no proper life for a sweet cat. As he prepares to drive to the country, Mathilde carries Soudan to his car. Terrier asks Mathilde to take care of Soudan, trusting that she will be a good guardian for the lively young feline, who clearly wants to play during this last exchange between Terrier and Mathilde.

The last we see of Soudan is when Mathilde holds him to her face as Terrier motors out of the city.

Purr Blurs: Later in the film, Terrier returns to Jeannes‘ digs and is greeted by a meowing grey tabby at the back door as well as a bicolor cat lounging in a nearby chair before he makes a gruesome discovery while checking further into the rooms.

Final Mewsings: Terrier’s method for dealing with a person who abuses cats is better than most, and is guaranteed to prevent future depredations.

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