An older criminal might turn witness and spill the beans, on an industrial scale. In order to ensure his silence, his former associates hire a hitman. Posing as a respectable hotel guest, the killer hires a room with a good (a VERY good) view of the Palace of Justice. He is about to cross the path of another hotel guest, to wit a love-lorn idiot who wants to commit suicide...
Carefully made movie with a clever, funny plot, amusing gags and good performances. Patrick Timsit, especially, is excellent as the most needy, cloying, clinging bore of Europe. His eerily plausible "emmerdeur" is a prime illustration of the tyranny of the weak. Normally constituted persons will leave you alone ; weak persons will cling to you like barnacles and expect you to execute their lightest whim, because you wouldn't like to cause an accident, now would you ?
Still, while the movie is enjoyable, it shows a certain lack of variety with regard to locations and events, which may be due to theatrical roots. (For instance, there's no Good Samaritan drive to the maternity ward, as in the 1973 version with Brel and Ventura.) Do yourself a favour and watch the 1973 movie also, so that you can play at "compare and contrast".
Carefully made movie with a clever, funny plot, amusing gags and good performances. Patrick Timsit, especially, is excellent as the most needy, cloying, clinging bore of Europe. His eerily plausible "emmerdeur" is a prime illustration of the tyranny of the weak. Normally constituted persons will leave you alone ; weak persons will cling to you like barnacles and expect you to execute their lightest whim, because you wouldn't like to cause an accident, now would you ?
Still, while the movie is enjoyable, it shows a certain lack of variety with regard to locations and events, which may be due to theatrical roots. (For instance, there's no Good Samaritan drive to the maternity ward, as in the 1973 version with Brel and Ventura.) Do yourself a favour and watch the 1973 movie also, so that you can play at "compare and contrast".