The French have never been too good at black humor but some brave filmmakers give it a try. Think of those films where the corpses vanish and reappear (see Alfred Hitchcock's "The Trouble with Harry") Where the protagonists get trapped on and on (see the Coen Brothers' "Fargo"). In this one, Richard Bohringer is an imperturbable villain who kills his wife's lover and leaves shoe prints on the premises. But not his shoe prints. The shoe prints of a law student called Philip Pabst and played by José Garcia. The wrong man then goes to the worst extremes to prove his innocence. José Garcia's acting is subtle. It gives an air of sympathy to horrifying deeds. In this film, Garcia proves to be one of the greatest a few years before all the films that would expose his talent. "Five minute break" is full of chases, enjoyable secondary characters ( such as the dead man's brother and father, in pursuit of the murderer) and a sentimental trifling. Plus a woman who plays a double(triple?) game. Once in a while, it is nonsensical and it works. Bravo.
