Le sourire du clown

Bad Russians are after a disk featuring secrets from nuclear

companies. After a failed and bloody attempt, they run after the

fall guy, a suicidal clown, who gains help from a tormented

would-be priest while a grumpy detective is on the trail. Sounds

familiar ? Yes, this basic plot has been used for countless

direct-to-video thrillers. But the fact that this is a French

film with a distinct flavour gives it an honorable twist, and

obviously, the filmmakers never intended it to be more than

entertainment. The characters, though clichéd, are honestly

drawn, the acting is very good and a crisp, lush cinematography

helps disguise an obvious low budget. Ticky Holgado really

shines as this ambiguous, sad clown who turns out to be much

more (The title is ironic, since he never smiles), and his

clown/mime antics are delightful. Nothing impressive, just a

nice little B-movie, unpretentious but crisp, a cut above your

average TV movie.