The story centres around knifethrower Gabor (Auteuil) and a young woman called Adèle (Paradis), whom he meets as she prepares to jump from a bridge. Gabor intervenes, persuading Adèle to become the target girl in his knifethrowing act. The film follows their relationship as they travel abroad, selling and performing their act. Their companionship and teamwork mean great luck for both of them. When they are separated, she in Greece and he in Turkey, their lives once again become luckless.
The soundtrack consists entirely of existing music, with Who Will Take My Dreams Away by Marianne Faithfull, I'm Sorry by Brenda Lee and Goodbye in a version of Benny Goodman recurring during the film. Other music includes other numbers by Benny Goodman and Noro Morales, Festival in Valencia by Charles Smitton, Italian music by the Orchestra Secondo Casadei, Turkish music from the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble, and the Austrian National Anthem.
Release
The film grossed 22.6 million Franc ($3.4 million) in France.[4]Paramount Classics acquired the United States distribution rights to this film and gave it a limited U.S. theatrical release on July 28, 2000; the film went on to gross $1,708,839 in U.S. theaters,[5] which was a good result for a non-English film. Ruth Vitale (president of Paramount Classics at that time) declared herself pleased with the film's performance in the U.S. market.[6] However, Paramount did not release the film on DVD until July 2008.
Daniel Auteuil won a César as best actor for his role in 2000, and a similar prize at the Festival de Sant Jordi in 2001. The film won the Prix du public at the Cinemania festival in Montréal in 1999 and the best foreign film at the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards in 2000.
