Le Beauf
1987 Crime / Drama
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Summary
Gilbert has settled into a humdrum life. To support his family, he works for a bank
where his sole task is to operating a machine which incinerates banknotes. One evening,
an old friend, Serge, turns up on his doorstep. In their youth, Gilbert and
Serge belonged to a rock band and their friendship is as keen as ever. Gilbert willingly
agrees to accompany Serge to a hotel with a suitcase filled with banknotes, believing
his friend is involved in some legitimate business deal. When, through his neglect,
the suitcase is stolen, Gilbert is forced into agreeing to help Serge in a scheme to rob
the bank where he works. Gilbert soon realises he is being duped. An opportunity
to take revenge proves to be too irresistible...
Review
Gérard Jugnot’s engaging performance brings a genuine human dimension to what would
otherwise have been a pretty routine heist movie. Jugnot is perhaps better known
for his ebullient comic performances, in such films as
Le Père noel est une ordure (1982),
but films like Le Beauf show that he is also
very capable as a straight actor, bringing great pathos and humanity to his portrayals
of down-trodden "little men". Yves Amoureux’s confident direction makes Le
Beauf an appealing crime drama, in which the suspense elements are nicely counter-pointed
by some wry comic touches.
© James Travers 2006 Write a review for this film... |
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