La sonrisa del payaso

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.

I saw it when it was released, back in 1999, and was rather satisfied, because this film is not in the Hollywood standard, but on the other hand, I must admit that the story telling and acting are lame, confusing, but never boring though. And the Ticky Holgado's character steals the show, that's precisely the reason why I watched this film several times since 1999. Good action scenes enhance the low quality of this rare and totally unvalaible on VHS or DVD. I taped it off in 2000 and despite the clumsy directing, I am happy to have it in my collection. I am not surprised that only a handful of folks saw it when it was released in French theaters.