Catherine Bray The various elements of writer-director-star Louis Garrel’s low-key comic crime caper don’t sound that original at first glance. The audience-friendly plot involves a troubled thirtysomething, Abel (Garrel), lured by family connections into assisting with a heist in order to protect those he loves. In addition to this conscience-plagued hero, the cast of characters include Abel’s free-spirited mother (Anouk Grinberg), a reformed — or is he? — ex-con (Roschdy Zem), a manic-pixie dream girl-esque female lead (Noémie Merlant) and various shady underworld sorts mostly restricted to hiding in the shadows. But this film is a slightly slipperier customer than a topline summary would suggest, with tonal shifts that shouldn’t work, but somehow do. Fans of the likes of Maren Ade’s 2016 comedy-drama Toni Erdmann or Alex van Warmerdam’s 2013 psychological thriller Borgman may recognize a kindred sensibility.
