Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for Shoot the Piano Player

Shoot the Piano Player

Seen it?

1960 | 85 min | Drama, Thriller, Crime

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (90% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved The Asphalt Jungle or Touch of Evil, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Tense, dark and gritty.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 25 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Made in 1960: an older pace and style.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Charlie is a former classical pianist who has changed his name and now plays jazz in a grimy Paris bar. When Charlie's brothers, Richard and Chico, surface and ask for Charlie's help while on the run from gangsters they have scammed, he aids their escape. Soon Charlie and Lena, a waitress at the same bar, face trouble when the gangsters arrive, looking for his brothers.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    90% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.2 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 29K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by François Truffaut

  • Charles AznavourCharlie Kohler/Edouard Saroyan
  • Marie DuboisLéna
  • Nicole BergerThérèse Saroyan
  • Michèle MercierClarisse
  • Serge DavriPlyne
  • Claude MansardMomo
  • Richard KanayanFido Saroyan
  • Albert RémyChico Saroyan
  • Jean-Jacques AslanianRichard Saroyan
  • Daniel BoulangerErnest