So much average

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

"Qui Perd Gagne" is a slickly packaged, lightweight caper movie that will appeal especially to those members of the audience interested in mathematics, gambling, luck, e.t.c. And the female lead is Elsa Zylberstein, whom I would gladly watch doing anything for an indeterminate amount of time: though not "conventionally" beautiful, she is soooooo hot she burns! But this film is not quite as clever as it appears to be: first of all it cheats by placing a key scene (the first chess match...) out of chronological order without any warning. But even if you can accept that as part of the "tricks of the trade", the gullibility with which certain characters, who really should know better, allow themselves to be duped and exposed is hard to buy. Watch this movie but don't think too hard about it. **1/2 out of 4.

Qui perd gagne! (2004) (Loser Takes All) was co-written and directed by Laurent Bénégui. I saw it at the 2005 Cinefranco Festival in Toronto. (www.cinefranco.com) This film tells the story of Jacques Loriot (Thierry Lhermitte) who is a compulsive gambler with a memory like a computer. A man has won the national lottery twice--essentially impossible. It's the job of Angèle (the intriguing Elsa Zylberstein) to find out how this is possible. She enlists Jacques to help in the investigation.This is the kind of movie where nothing can be taken for granted--and no one is what he or she seems to be. The two leads are attractive, the supporting players are excellent, and the whole thing probably makes sense, although you'll need a pencil and paper--and a great memory--to sort it out after the movie's over.Not a great film, but entertaining and definitely worth seeing.