This is one of the two last films featuring Jacques Villeret and by coincidence both are showing in Paris right now and offer a perfect illustration of the breadth of his range. A prologue set in 1980 features a jewellery heist on the Place Vendome; ten years earlier Yves Montand and Alain Delon showed how to do it subtly in 'Le Cercle Rouge' but clearly this equipe don't go to the cinema because they eschew subtlety in favour of brute force. Twenty five years later three of the gang are barely scraping a respectable living in three different countries cue the letter from the lawyer that reunites Serge, Gerard Lanvin, Lucien, Jacques Villeret and Henri, Gerard Darmon. It seems that the fourth man, Max, who served 25 years after hiding the loot, has died and entrusted the whereabouts of the grisbi to his son who naturally needs to be tricked out of it. That's it in essence but the fun is in watching three ex tough guys now fish out of water. Anna Galiena, the eponymous hairdresser in Leconte's movie reminds us how good she is as the widow of Max. Not a world-beater maybe but still highly enjoyable.
Review of Les parrains
