In general, it is said of André Téchiné that his latest film is good, but the one before was better. It just means that his films get better in your memory or when you see them again. Les Voleurs presents itself as a crime film, even with a private dick as central character. The circumstances of the murder of a gangster from Lyon however remain a sideline, what that death means for others is more important: for his teneear-old son, his brother operating on the other side of the law, the girl the gangster was in love with. It is not a matter of a scintillating duet between stars Deneuve and Auteuil: the young Laurence Côte has the most spectacular role. Yet Deneuve without glamour is another revelation, with which Téchiné again proves he is the best European director of women. However this should not distract attention from how good he is at directing men, or his mise-en-scène, or his use of locations…Ab van Ieperen
