23:58

While cinematographer Glenn (best known for his work with Truffaut and Tavernier) has come up with a diverting update of Kubrick's racetrack-heist thriller The Killing, it's easy to accuse him of indulgence. For one thing, there's rather too much stock footage of the Le Mans 24-hour motorcycle race, setting for the daring robbery planned by former track stars Bernard (Stévenin), Thierry (Garnier) and their team of assorted little criminals and low-lifes. For another, making Morin (Malo), the top cop on the case, not only a bike connoisseur but a movie-buff, tends to tip the whole thing into anorak territory. Finally, a framing story, in which a couple of kids (one the offspring of a dead biker champ) read a letter from Bernard while playing on the beach, never manages to convince that it's anything more than poetic whimsy. That said, it's an amiably brief spin, fair on atmosphere (though the promise of the opening Melville-like shots of an empty grey northern coastline is never fulfilled), and strong on occasional quirky detail. Minor, for sure, but sufficiently different to pass the time.