Thieves (1996)
"Les voleurs" (original title)

In the middle of the night, someone brings Ivan's body home to his wife and his sad-faced, jug-eared son. Through flashbacks, the film discloses the relationships among Ivan and his brother... See full summary »

Director:

André Téchiné

Writers:

André Téchiné (dialogue), Gilles Taurand (dialogue),

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, Daniel Auteuil, Laurence Côte

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve	...	Marie Leblanc
Daniel Auteuil	...	Alex
Laurence Côte	...	Juliette Fontana
Benoît Magimel	...	Jimmy Fontana
Fabienne Babe	...	Mireille
Didier Bezace	...	Ivan
Julien Rivière	...	Justin
Ivan Desny	...	Victor
Régis Betoule	...	Régis
Pierre Perez	...	Fred
Naguime Bendidi	...	Nabil
Didier Raymond	...	Lucien
Jean-Louis Meunier	...	Chanteur 'Tamino'
Eric Kreikenmayer	...	Adjoint Alex
Jean-Jacques Cravero	...	Travesti 1

Storyline

In the middle of the night, someone brings Ivan's body home to his wife and his sad-faced, jug-eared son. Through flashbacks, the film discloses the relationships among Ivan and his brother Alex, a cop with a cleanliness fetish; siblings Juliette and Jimmy, Ivan's partners in a seedy nightclub; the love triangle of Alex, Juliette, and Marie, a professor of philosophy; and of Alex and his nephew, Ivan's dour, stoic son. Ivan's death changes every relationship. Images of paragliders, sun bathers, and opera suggest an expansive, colorful world outside the constricted lives of these characters.

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Plot Keywords:

opera | singing in a car | bathtub | boy | suicide | 

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Taglines:

C'est important d'avoir un ennemi, c'est meme vital.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, some violent moments and language

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

25 December 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Thieves

Filming Locations:

La Duchère, Lyon, Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$128,974 (USA) (27 December 1996)

Gross:

$939,304 (USA) (21 February 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC), D.A. Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Marie: Before Christ was a time of orgies. Then came love.
Alex: Love's less fun.
Marie: Probably. In orgies you give your all. No more, no less. In love, it's never enough. It's always too much or not enough.

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Connections

Referenced in Les convoyeurs attendent (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Money (Money)"
(song from the musical film "Cabaret")
Written by John Kander & Fred Ebb
Performed by Liza Minnelli

User Reviews

Interesting but uneven and overlong.

This film has a complex, multi-layered structure that grabs your interest...but not much substance underneath. There's no real mystery to the plot, and no real revelations about "human nature" either. Well-acted all around - including a little boy who is wise way beyond his years. (**)