An excellent black comedy, handsome thriller and a tall story that keeps you guessing as it unwinds. The genuinely ridiculous plot (a man pays a couple of goons to 'pretend' to kidnap his wife in order to get his paws on his in-laws' 'ransom' money) is completely credible as mighty plans fall apart, spiralling ever more beyond the protagonist's control and leaving us marvelling at the complex stupidity of human nature. A modern classic.

In this follow-up to his critical success Read My Lips, Jacques Audiard has adapted and updated James Toback's cult 1978 noir Fingers to come up with this memorable character study about a young man torn between a life of crime and classical music. Romain Duris, in a standout performance, portrays the 28-year-old Tom who seems destined to follow in his amoral father's footsteps as a Parisian property shark taking work in a sleazy and sometimes brutal milieu. However, a chance encounter with h find out more...