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Everything about this film is just a little bit unique. Firstly, can you think of another French movie that is a remake of an American indie? Feels a little backward, huh? James Toback’s Fingers is a terrific slice of arly 70s gritty New York; Audiard’s The Beat does the same for today’s Paris. But this isn’t a mob movie, really. If it has a thesis it is that one shouldn’t judge anything until you know it real well.

I find this film particularly gratifying in that it joins Body/Antibody in showing the nexus of criminality and urban real estate. Now… should we await the Dutch version of Five Easy Pieces next?