French Connection II (1975; USA; DeLuxe; 119m) ∗∗∗∗ d. John Frankenheimer; w. Alexander Jacobs, Robert Dillon, Laurie Dillon; ph. Claude Renoir; m. Don Ellis. Cast: Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Bernard Fresson, Cathleen Nesbitt, Jean-Pierre Castaldi, Charles Millot, Philippe Leotard, Ed Lauter, Samantha Llorens, Andre Penvern, Reine Prat, Ham-Chau Luong, Jacques Dynam, Raoul Delfosse, Malek Kateb. “Popeye” Doyle (Hackman) travels to Marseilles to find Alain Charnier (Rey), the drug smuggler that eluded him in New York. Riveting follow-up to THE FRENCH CONNECTION with a gripping performance by Hackman. The sequence where Hackman is recovering in cold turkey having been captured and fed heroin by Rey is chilling in its authenticity. Great action-packed conclusion as Hackman and his French colleague Fresson close in on the smugglers. Followed by POPEYE DOYLE (1986) (TV). [18]