I like this movie despite its many flaws and would cautiously recommend it. Possibly because Deneuve and Belmondo are such an attractive couple it doesn't matter what they do. The first half of the film is a Hitchcockian thriller about deceit, greed, and obsession set against the exotic backdrop of Reunion Island. But the mystery is cleared up quickly and it becomes a rather unconvincing lovers-on-the-run drama, not unlike Belmondo's "Breathless." I found the ending to be a colossal letdown in light of everything leading up to it. This was Truffaut's second attempt at a "Hitchcock" movie, and I think "The Bride Wore Black" succeeds better than this one because Truffaut maintains the suspense throughout. It's also got the edge thanks to the Bernard Herrmann score. Had "Mississippi Mermaid" stuck to its roots as typically offbeat Cornell Woolrich pulp fiction it could have been great.
Review of Mississippi Mermaid
