Phillipe Noiret as the world's least tough cop. That may not sound very promising, but after a while, when the story has had time to develop, that it is Thompson's story becomes... ah... rather evident. To say more would risk giving too much away. Suffice it to say that this is *not* what you might expect. It also has one of the most bizarre yet utterly fitting endings of any movie I have ever witnessed. It is a real treat

Tavernier's neo-noir/dark comedy is interesting, but ultimately feels empty. The humor isn't all that funny, instead it seems to just go for inappropriate and leave it at that. The performances are good but the film doesn't have a distinctive sense of style. I did like the Kafka-esque tone of the moral ambiguity. I felt that there was an allegory at play here, especially considering the setting, but I struggled to pick up on exactly what it was.

Unfunny and long-winded.

Wonderful dark comedy with a tremendous performance from Noiret. The north African setting is perfect, giving the film a languid air to contrast with it's stop and start pacing that keeps you constantly riveted.