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The plot becomes a fairly nonsensical car crash after the initial heist but the movie is quite a lot of fun anyway. It is basically a cat and mouse between the gang, particularly head burglar, Belmondo and the corrupt cop, Omar Sharif. The meetings betwen the sides and powerplay are central but slightly odd and ill conceived. Belmondo also has two women chasing him - Dyan Cannon is a kind of blonde Penthouse Pet of the Month and a pretty French redhead played by Nicole Calfan. No sex though, things fall apart before he can get down to enacting the glamour model pose selected from her latest magazine. All 3 are very charmant though. A few nice comic touches. The two main highlights really though are the archetypal quirky Morricone score and a great car chase.

Film from la Splendide cafe theatre comedy troupe. Engaging characters and dialogue about romantic longing particularly through the eyes of a couple who are in love but experimenting with separation and Michel Blanc's socially inept desperado, trying far too hard for a date. Support is from the staff romantics and casanovas. The action takes place mainly in the club and at the holiday camp's beach. Well directed by Patrice Leconte who also worked with Michel Blanc on the adaptatuom of Georges Simeon's Monsieur Hire novel. Spawned various sequels that took the Splendide team next to the mountains in Les Bronzes Font Du Ski.

A kind of silly adventure caper premise with Amazon statues giving a clue to the whereabouts of a diamond mine. But the two stars look great, Brazil looks great and some of the action set pieces look great too. Not just Rio either, Brasilia is a fascinating backdrop for some of the second half. Occasionally the quality drops or it goes close to spoof. There is a dreadful plastic crocodile at one point.