I saw that movie many years ago in a Quebec cable channel. When I watched it, on my opinion, it came to me that money rules power, power rules the law, the law sets the rules, and the rules are full of corruption...
Mob boss and contractor Padovani (Jean Lajeunesse) invites many top guests, including a Quebec MP, the mayor of Montreal (Rene Caron) in his home for a reception to celebrate the opening of the Trans-Quebec highway (in reality the Ville Marie Highway in Montreal...). Women, including the sultry and sexy mistress of Padovani (Celine Lomez) are there to accompany the men or entertain them (mostly in a sexy way...). Downstairs, bodyguards and police agents protecting those VIPS are playing pool or having a drink, among these a hitman (troubling Gabriel Arcand, Denys's brother...) waiting for a next hit, but might be close to get a new "contract"...
But two incidents occured: an upcoming protest by a group, angry that their houses were demolished to make place for the highway, is stated to disturb the inauguration... And Padovani's ex-wife, Réjeanne (excellent Luce Guilbeault) wants to come back into her ex's life. The latter is reluctant because she went away with a rival Jewish mob boss. Suspecting she's too dangerous, he must face a decision... And an accidental tip from paparazzi journalists roaming in the property (and stopped by the rowdy security...) might give him a key to shut up the upcoming protest stated for the opening day...
This movie, done by the excellent Denys Arcand (the mastermind behind Jesus of Montreal, the Decline of the American Empire and the latest hit The Barbarian Invasions...), is well written though slow, performances are excellent, and scary too: a good example of how politics and corruption, represented by organized crime, even cops and hitmen are mingling together, while their bosses are celebrating upstairs their latest coup, paid mostly by taxpayers and Mob greed...
An entertaining movie, filled with reals images at the end of the movie of the housing demolition that occured when they built the real highway (symbolic that rich power is killing the poor and desperate souls...)
