Jean-Paul Belmondo has passed away at age 88.
Belmondo’s career was launched, and will forever be known, as the star of “Breathless,” Jean-Luc Godard’s seminal Nouvelle Vague film.
I mostly remember the adoration that Belmondo’s character, Michel, felt for Humphrey Bogart. Michel, a wily gangster who modeled himself on Bogart, just as Godard fashioned his film, had the world-weariness of Bogart, but with the naïveté of a bumbling crook.
The most memorable, and iconic, scene has Michel admiring Bogart on a film poster promoting “The Harder They Fall” as he stares so intensely and mugs to himself “Bogie.” perfection.
The ‘Smile’ franchise has a new director. David Bruckner, who made “The Night House” and the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, has been hired to direct “Smile 3” for Paramount.