THE SEVEN-UPS

Many people look at "The Seven-Ups" and see only a "French Connection" wannabe, down to the casting of Roy Scheider in the leading role. The fact that it was directed by "The French Connection's" producer, Philip D'Antoni only adds to the impression that this was intended to be nothing more than a cash-in but if you by-pass it on these grounds you'd be missing an excellent and very exciting crime flic with a car chase that outdoes the one in "The French Connection" by a good few miles.

What it lacks is a strong and coherent script and, of course, Gene Hackman. Scheider simply isn't up to the job, phoning in his performance as if all he wanted was to pick up his pay-check but the set pieces are superbly handled, leading you to wonder why D'Antoni never directed again. Indeed, a film that was once written off now has its own cult following and while it may not be a classic of the genre it is so much better than its reputation suggests.