This French crime thriller was the directorial debut of screenwriter Jacques Audiard and won three Césars.
Jean Yanne stars as Simon Hirsch, a bored, middle-aged salesman who accompanies his best friend, cop Mickey (Yvon Back), on a stakeout for the sake of excitement. When Mickey is shot and put into a coma, Simon sets aside his job and family in order to catch the would-be killers. In a parallel story that takes place a few years earlier, a thug and gambler named Marx (
Jean-Louis Trintignant) teaches a simple-minded youth named Johnny (
Mathieu Kassovitz) the finer points of thug life, including shakedowns and professional hits. The paths of Marx and Johnny don't cross with that of Simon until the film's surprising climax. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide