Melody for a Hustler

Comedy, Drama · 1998

French novelist Vincent Ravalec made his directorial debut with this French drama about small-time crook Gaston (Yvan Attal) who poses as a millionaire after he picks up hitchhiking 16-year-old Marie-Pierre (Virginie Lanoue). Actually living in a seedy apartment, Gaston deals in stolen goods, but he soon climbs to bigger heists, including car thefts. Concealing his illegal activities, Gaston operates his company, Extramill, out of upscale, posh offices, while he and Marie-Pierre move into a sedate upper-middle-class neighborhood. Life is sweet, but the onset of paranoia, kinky sex activities, and police probes eventually culminate in violence.

Starring

Yvan Attal, Philippe Le Sourd, Vincent Ravalec, Virginie Lanoué, Yann Collette, Vincent Ravalec, Vincent Ravalec, Benaïssa Ahaouari, Jean-Pierre Alessandrini, Samy Naceri

Director

Vincent Ravalec