Why so much hype?

Great Film overall

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

A man, just out of jail, returns to his home town. Little prepares for what he finds: everything has changed. Thierry Berger was involved in a bank heist that netted one hundred and sixty million franks, which were never recovered. During the bandits escape, his partner, who turns out to be a young woman, dies. Thierry paid his debt to society with a prison term of fifteen years.A policeman, Mayene, hot in pursuit of Thierry arrives in town. He is convinced he will catch Thierry, and ultimately, the money. Thierry finds an ally in the librarian, Francine. With her help, he tries to get to the hiding place. Mayene is assisted by a sadistic cop, who can terrorize small and innocent girls. A sadly dated film by Pierre Granier-Deferre. The main idea has been told, time and again. The slow execution does not help with the action. The implausible story of a provincial bank robbed of the huge amount of money does not help in making the story credible. The bland presence of Alain Souchon does not work. Jean-Louis Trintignant, one of the best French actors of all times, does not have anything to do in the film. Lambert Wilson, as the sadistic cop fares better.

"L'Homme Aux Yeux D'argent " (the man with the silver eyes:why that title,by the way?) is the kind of movie the average viewer has seen at least twenty times or more.An ex-convict returns to his village where he has hidden his loot.A cop (Jean-Louis Trintignant) hot on his heels is as resolute as Javert in "Les Miserables" . The thief meets again his former love,a librarian ,who is not as innocent and naive as she appears first and is interested in the dough too.The only offbeat thing in a routine thriller full of improbabilities is the presence of another cop ,played by a young Lambert Wilson.A shady character who has a very vicious way of treating innocent little girls who borrow "Heidi" or "Les Lettres De Mon Moulin" from the library.Wilson's scenes are the one moments when the movie seems to take off but they are few and far between and he is only supporting.