The Innocent is a French crime comedy film co-written and directed by Louis Garrel, who also stars.
Abel (Garrel) is suspicious of his mother Sylvie (Anouk Grinberg)'s romance with Michel (Roschdy Zem), an inmate she had previously taught while in prison. Hoping to expose his nefarious motives, Abel recruits his friend Clémence (Noémie Merlant). However, the two are instead recruited by Michel to participate in the theft of some expensive caviar with the promise of a cut of the profits.
The film debuted at Cannes 2022 before a French release in October of that year. It was released internationally in 2023.
Tropes:
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Sylvie has a habit of falling in love with inmates. Michel complains that she's made prison her dating app.
- The Caper: The protagonists are trying to steal a heft of caviar from a truck driver stopping to eat.
- Everyone Has Standards: Sylvie is a bit of a free spirit who frequently falls in love with ex-cons. However, involving her son in criminal behavior is a line in the sand, and Michel has crossed it, so she breaks up with him for good in the end.
- Hourglass Plot: Abel begins the film looking down on Michel for his prison background and for marrying his mother while in prison. The film ends with Abel marrying Clémence in prison and Michel free.
- The Lost Lenore: Abel is still haunted by the death of his wife Maud in a car accident prior to the story — he was the driver.
- Incredibly Obvious Tail: Abel and Clémence are amateurish in their attempts to spy on Michel, to the point that he recruits them into the theft he was planning after he quickly catches them.
- Parent with New Paramour: Abel disapproves of his mother Sylvie's new marriage to Michel, since he's not the first ex-con she's fallen in love with.
- Relationship Upgrade: Abel and Clémence start out as close friends and coworkers, but admit romantic feelings for each other in the climax before getting together. This mutual confession is also an Exploited Trope, since it distracts the driver long enough for Jean-Paul and Michel to steal the caviar he's transporting.
- Stacked Characters Poster: The English-language poster
◊ positions protagonist Abel at the top and stacks Sylvie/Michel and Clémence below him.
