Amir, an educated Pakistani -one sees him on a photograph wearing the mortar and proudly holding his diploma- has been working for nine years (not six like in the precis) for Jo: he's his gofer ,but although his boss considers him a part of the family ( scene of the meal) , it's actually exploitation ,nay "friendly" slavery : the shopkeeper never kept his promise to regularize his situation by helping him get working papers." But there's so much work to do" ,says he , without even realizing that,if his business is thriving, it owes a lot to his "assistant" who never stops slaving away . Jo considers Amir a thing , a dog (check the title :"merci mon chien" ="thanks you my dog" means" don't bother saying thank you") ,nay a slave , he goes as far as to exchange him for a gambling debt .Now Amir has new boss (not to say master ) Ralph and, shortly after, Jo's business collapses whereas his mate's are on the wane .Would Amir have got something to do with that? The poor boy eventually got married with Malika ;as she's expecting a child ,some well-meaning souls urge him to create his own ready-to wear workshop ;but the police are tracking illegal work.
The movie loses steam in its last third ,and the Gudrun character is ludicrous and thoroughly implausible (unless it makes the movie use lines in English , which is a la mode in the French cinema) ;the screenwriters seem to hesitate between comedy (scene in the hospital) and drama (Amir in his cell) and one could expect a most satisfying ending .Well acted.
