The Villain

2009 1h 26m FR

😐

6.3

MID

⭐

6.4

IMDB

★6.3TMDB · 148★6.4IMDB · 1,554

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

With gun-toting rivals on his tail, a daring bank robber takes refuge in the quiet residential street here he grew up and where his mother, Maniette, still lives. An unscrupulous property developer, Korazy, is buying up the neighborhood to turn it into a gleaming new banking district, but to her son's disgust Maniette leads the inhabitants resistance. Her ingenious methods provoke her boy's admiration, but he fights back with sneaky traps and underhand tricks when Maniette tries to force him to do the right thing just once in his life.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Albert Dupontel
Sidney Thomas
Catherine Frot
Maniette Thomas
Bouli Lanners
Nick Korazy
Nicolas Marié
Doctor Jean William
Bernard Farcy
Inspector Elliot
Christine Murillo
Melle Somoza
Philippe Duquesne
Redhead Painter
Xavier Robic
Korazy's Secretary

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Albert Dupontel
Writers: Albert Dupontel
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 77% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Directed by Albert Dupontel, shot by Pierre-Yves Bastard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Christophe Julien. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Christophe Pinel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Albert Dupontel and Catherine Frot and Bouli Lanners carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Albert Dupontel directs. Pierre-Yves Bastard behind the camera. Christophe Julien scores. Christophe Pinel cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Earned back only 77% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 17 years ago.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Albert Dupontel, shot by Pierre-Yves Bastard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Christophe Julien. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Christophe Pinel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Albert Dupontel and Catherine Frot and Bouli Lanners carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt1194242 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.