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After a major botch-up, a group of French criminals, led by Daniel Foray, are sent to Chicago by their boss. Their task is to rob a house in Chicago, known to have plenty of priceless jewellery in the safe. Unfortunately, they manage to break into the wrong house and tie up the owner, who just happens to be the head of the local Mafia, Frankie Zametti. As a result, Zametti declares war on the gang, and he is not the only one. The FBI, another gang of criminals and a gang of local thugs are also after the French crowd, who by now, just want to get back to Paris. Have they bitten off more than they can chew?
I picked this DVD up because it stars Harvey Keitel and Gerard Depardieu, but didn't have particularly high expectations of it - I hadn't heard of it for a start and I bought it from Poundland, which is not really known for its high quality films! However, the film is surprisingly good. The plot isn't anything special - it's a typical action thriller, but the comedy angle is very well done and the acting is of a very high standard. Daniel Foray is played by Depardieu,
who is the long-suffering head of a gang of largely useless burglars. The actor does comic roles very well and this one is no exception - his comic timing is excellent and he provides most of the laughs, although it has to be said that he is ably assisted by his colleagues.
Harvey Keitel plays Frankie Zametti, who doesn't actually have a particularly large part in the film - I suspect his name tops the billing purely for marketing purposes. He plays a role that really can't have stretched him all that much; nevertheless, he does a good job and is completely convincing as a career criminal. Foray's gang and their boss is played by a group of actors who are apparently very well known in France. Johnny Hallyday as the boss is the name most familiar to me - he is a famous French singer and actor - as is Renaud (that's how he is apparently known). Both are great in the film, although Renaud's character doesn't have a large amount to say. Hallyday is very scary for someone who is so loved in France and is very convincing as a nasty piece of work! I really liked Said Taghmaoui as Sami and Albert Dray as Raymond - both are very personable characters and provide a lot of the more gentle humour.
I'm not sure exactly who the film is aimed at, but I suspect the French will have appreciated it the most, because although most of the film is in English, there are quite a few digs at the American culture and a few jokes that will probably only make sense to those who understand the French culture. There is a light-hearted argument between Johnny Hallyday's character and the one played by Renaud at one point - they fight over what music station should be played and I suspect that it is their own music, something that is not going to be understood by the majority of non-French viewers. There's also a dig at not being able to drink or smoke in American diners. I probably missed other jokes, but what there was, I certainly enjoyed.
The rest of the humour revolves around the incompetence of the French gang and their American counterparts. It rarely verges on the slapstick though; some of it is clever writing on the part of writer and director Brad Mirman, some of it is in the expressions of the actors. I was impressed by the subtlety used - not something I'm used to in Mafia action films. It has to be said that the accents of the French actors added a great deal to the proceedings - their English was all excellent, but those accents are very appealing. As indeed are the Italian-American accents. Small parts of the dialogue are carried out in French, which are well subtitled, but the vast majority is in English.
This is a film about the Mafia and criminal gangs, so there is, as expected, plenty of violence and swearing. However, it isn't all that graphic - people die, but off-screen, so there isn't too much that would be uncomfortable for the under-age to see. I think the classification of 15 is about right, although younger, but mature, teenagers will probably cope with it just fine. The swearing, in French and English, is something parents will want to watch out for though! Then again, show me a film about the Mafia that doesn't involve swearing...
Unfortunately, there aren't any extras with the DVD - a shame, because I would have liked an insight into how the idea for the film came about and how the French and Americans worked together. There is a very brief blooper section as the credits are playing at the end, but that is all.
I was really surprised by this film and think it deserves to be a lot better known, not hidden away in bargain bins! The humour is great and I found myself laughing out loud all the way through. And with all the big names, it really is surprising it isn't better known. If you manage to get hold of a copy, then it really is worth a watch, particularly if you like light-hearted thrillers. Recommended.
The DVD is available from play.com for £4.99, but it is worth looking out for it in Poundland.
Classification: 15
Running time: 84 minutes
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