Ne nous fâchons pas (Let's Not Get Angry) is a 1966 French gangster/spy comedy film directed by Georges Lautner. It was the third collaboration between Lautner, writer Michel Audiard and actor Lino Ventura after Les Tontons flingueurs and Les Barbouzes, and is the last installment of that thematic trilogy, the Trilogie des Malfaisants.
Antoine Beretto (Lino Ventura) is a retired French gangster who settled in the Mediterranean city of Collioure and opened a nautical gear, scuba diving and boat lending business. One day, two former mob "colleagues" of his come at him to borrow him a large sum of money. He ends up accepting, and the two of them tell him that he can get his money back from a whiny, cowardly and slimeballish bookmaker who owes them money, Léonard Michalon (Jean Lefebvre). Beretto goes to Michalon, only to find out that, for some reason, Michalon's life is threatened by the mysterious McLean (Tommy Duggan), an English colonel commanding over a legion of well-dressed pretty boys. He then has no other choice than to protect Michalon if he wants his money back.
The film also stars Michel Constantin as Beretto's best friend Jeff and Mireille Darc as Michalon's wife Églantine.
This film provides examples of the following tropes:
- The '60s: Made in the middle of the decade, with people referring to the "old franc" currency vs the "new franc". And, of course, there's the soundtrack
that practically screams mid-1960s, and the Colonel's boys dress and style their hair like The Beatles. - Disposing of a Body: To dispose of the body of the first boy of the Colonel to attack them, Beretto and Jeff go to a man who specializes in this, played by Robert Dalban.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Let's say that Beretto's patience is often put to the test. Best illustrated at the beginning, where he manages to beat up/harm three people after one of them unvoluntarily hit the back of his car.
- I Am Very British: McLean and his boys all have a posh British accent. This was par for the course in the French films of the era that featured British characters.
- Mook Mobile: The Colonel's boys all have the same red moped.
- Non-Fatal Explosions: Beretto and Jeff survive an explosion they normally shouldn't survive. Seemingly averted for the death traps Beretto & co set up for the unsuspecting boys of the colonel.
- Prematurely Marked Grave: In anticipation of killing him once he will be brought to them, the Colonel has a grave dug by his boys for Michalon.
- Pretty Boys: Colonel McLean's mooks are well-dressed attractive young men.
- Reformed Criminal: Lino Ventura plays a former mobster just like he did in Les Tontons Flingueurs.
- Trapped by Gambling Debts: Michalon stole money from bets on horse races, hence several people looking for him outside of Colonel McLean.
- Villain Song: The lyricless leitmotif "Rosbif Attack" note , with the Colonel's boys dancing over it.
