The French have been carrying the torch of quality in this Hitchcockian-noir genre for some time now and this is a typically classy display. The plot twists itself up well as a (fairly) innocent postman gets himself caught up in all kinds of trouble through a series of oddball events and strange deeds, and then, with a little bit of help from his friends, attempts to save the day, and all the strands unwind themselves in a satisfyingly clever finale.

 

Though the opera theme is a bit eighties,(!?) the rest retains its sheen of cool throughout, and some of the characters are great; the uber-French DominiquAtessen/City of Lost Children fame) is fun in a minor role as a disgruntled thug, the hero's beatnik-crook new friends are very very stylish, and the lead himself has that look of perplexed panic perfect for this kind of character. Good