Breathless (1960)

In the vibrant heart of Marseilles, we meet Michel Poiccard, a charismatic rogue with a predilection for danger. He's a small-time hood with big ambitions, drawing from the silver screen's tough-guy charm of Humphrey Bogart to shape his audacious persona. Unfettered by moral constraints, Michel navigates the world with a reckless abandon, stealing cars and money, and spinning a web of deceit and charm that lures women into his orbit. One fateful day, a pursuit by the police in the French countryside culminates in Michel impulsively murdering a motorcycle policeman. With the law now on his tail, Michel finds sanctuary in the lights of Paris, seeking solace in his casual sweetheart, Patricia Franchini. An American journalism student at the Sorbonne, Patricia is a bright-eyed aspiring journalist, blissfully unaware of Michel's criminal escapades. She finds herself juggling affections between Michel and another American journalist. Michel's audacity remains undeterred by the looming threat of capture. He sets about collecting a debt from a shady associate, all the while planning an escape to Rome with Patricia. He remains surprisingly nonchalant, even as his face plasters the local media as a wanted cop killer. When Patricia finally uncovers the truth about Michel's illicit activities, she's torn between her loyalty and the law. As the dragnet slowly closes on him, Michel continues his reckless pursuit of love, adventure, and a life imitating his beloved American movies. Breathless (1960) is a thrilling exploration of one man's audacity in the face of danger, his love for the allure of American culture, and his desperate attempts to escape a life he has recklessly built. Will his audacious charm save him, or will it be his undoing? The streets of Paris hold the answer.

Breathless is a crime movie featuring Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Breathless is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and it's also available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel and TCM.

It is also possible to buy Breathless on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.