The Fall of the American Empire

If are already tired of empty movies full of superheroes, sick people love stories, dysfunctional families then take a couple of hours and exercise your brain. Arcand most important weapon are dialogs; like Tarantino's but with very deeper meaning and without forcing styles. It is always necessary to have great actors to deliver most of the lines; and as always his team is perfect even when sometimes did not even look like professional actors. The story is basically a thriller (or a Polar since the movie is in French). A Philosophy witness a holdup and escape with two huge bags full of money. The police tries to nail him. Add to the equation an ex con expert in money laundering, a very expensive prostitute another money laundering expert (this one playing for the big leagues) and a bunch of cops that are perhaps worse than the criminals itself. Yes there a few criminals but they are mostly an accessory to the script. The important thing here is the social commentary. How consumerism has destroyed society and how society is getting every day colder. How government only interest is to get money to expend (and obviously to embezzlement ). Even when the movie plays more than a comedy; there are a couple of quite violent explicit scenes and a good created suspense . Some dialogs are worth remembering forever; some scenes are quite poetic and mood altering and the whole movie is an uplifting experience that let us think about our lives. There are some pace issues and the final two scenes feel unnecessary however is just a very small detail in an otherwise almost perfect movie

I went to watch this movie at the cinema sure that it was nothing special, but I hade to change my idea. The story of this weird and intelligent boy, who unexpectedly finds two bags full of money, is funny but also full of positive feelings and intents. The movie shows at the same time the worst and the best of our society, without forgetting a love story, friendship and charity. I think it is definitely a movie to watch.

I loved this story of a way over-educated nerd who's filled with Marxist claptrap making a conscious decision to steal bagfuls of cash. Typical of Arcand, the film is very talky, but in a dry and deadpan way that is quite amusing. It's a funny version of Dostoevsky by way of Godard and Woody Allen.

Wow! Starts out like just another crime caper, but develops into one of the most serious movies ever... Almost life-changing!

I had to give this movie a better rating than the current average score.

Why? Because I really got entertained!

I liked the characters, I liked the story, and I, for sure will have to see more from this director!