Two whimsical, aimless thugs harass and assault women, steal, murder, and alternately charm, fight, or sprint their way out of trouble. They take whatever the bourgeoisie holds dear, whether it’s cars, peace of mind, or daughters. Marie-Ange, a jaded, passive hairdresser, joins them as lover, cook, and mother confessor. She’s on her own search for seemingly unattainable sexual pleasure.
Acting
Depardieu and Dewaere's feral, magnetic chemistry
Direction
Blier's unapologetically cruel comic timing
Writing
Dialogue that weaponizes charm against decency
Director
Bertrand Blier
Gérard Depardieu
Jean-Claude
Miou-Miou
Marie-Ange
Patrick Dewaere
Pierrot
Jeanne Moreau
Jeanne Pirolle
Christian Alers
Henri, Jacqueline's father
Brigitte Fossey
Woman on the train
Michel Peyrelon
Bruno, surgeon
Gérard Boucaron
Carnot, mechanic
Jacques Chailleux
Jacques Pirolle
Dominique Davray
Ursula / Suzanne
Isabelle Huppert
Jacqueline
Marco Perrin
Supermarket director
Jacques Rispal
Mammoth security guard
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Blier's film helped define 1970s French 'cinéma du look'—all surface, no soul, intentionally so.
The bicycle theft scene became iconic enough that Blier essentially remade the entire film thirty years later as 'Les Côtelettes.'
FR
