Bertrand Tavernier’s debut feature is an expertly crafted adaptation of a Georges Simenon novel, transposing Simenon’s American locale to a petit-bourgeois quarter of Lyon (Tavernier’s hometown). Philippe Noiret gives a strong performance as Descombes, the craftsman of the film’s title, whose clockwork existence is shattered by the news that his son has been accused of murder. “Essential is the contribution of the cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn: the all-encompassing presence of his moving camera, gliding deeper into secret connections, compelling right from the fascinating and enigmatic shot of a burning car seen from the train window at night” (Peter von Bagh, Il Cinema Ritrovato).