Nice little hostage film from the French hood that manages to be a comedy, a thriller and a drama at the same time. I love the European touch to the typically American subject matter, especially the hilarious irony of the main gangster wanting to be a state-subsided rapper - in other words, to remain a gangster while being on the same payroll as the police he fights. The theatrical aspect - a minimal setting and changing relations between characters always at center - also works very well.