A very black comedy that, coming from France, might seem to have, on the surface, something in common with La Cage aux Folles. But the central homosexual relationship here is destructive rather than constructive and director Bertrand Blier's abrasive script, shot through with dark, ferocious humour, charges across the bounds of bad taste rather than skirting them. You may find big, muscular burglar Gérard Depardieu's attraction for little, balding Michel Blanc difficult to accept; but the unsettling quality of the performances (especially that of Miou-Miou, as the third member of the central trio), laced with Blier's dialogue, its insults couched in raw, bristing wit, gives the film an irresistible vitality. The pace of the action is pretty fierce, too, by today's standards, steamrollering over the viewer's potential outrage and entertaining instead.


©ipc tx. Film content from TVTimes