Michael Piccoli, RIP

We shouldn’t let the death of the great French actor Michael Piccoli go unmentioned. I just watched Belle de Jour again a couple of weeks ago and he was great as the sleazy bachelor who encourages Catharine Deneuve to go into prostitution. But there’s so many great performances: Godard’s Le Mépris, a number of Buñuel classics in addition to Belle de Jour, including The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and Diary of a Chambermaid; Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Doulos, Louis Malle’s Atlantic City, Hitchcock’s Topaz, and so many others. A true giant of an actor.