THE SWINDLE

Mysterious relationships, suspenseful deception, vicious gangsters and deft humor fill this witty and elegantly woven tale of intrigue - the 50th film by French master director Claude Chabrol. Victor (Michel Serrault) and Betty (Isabelle Huppert) have established a very comfortable life together as two small-time con artists who specialize in bilking ordinary people out of their money. For years, Victor's well-planned scams have managed to keep them out of trouble; however, Betty's growing desire for the less mundane begins to threaten their success. Betty reveals that for the past year, she has been wooing the ideal target - a handsome executive who also works as a courier for money-laundering mobsters. Using the prospect of millions to lure Victor into her con, Betty arranges what she thinks is the perfect shakedown. Playing both men against each other, she initiates a tricky three-cornered game of double-cross that leads from a Swiss resort to a Caribbean island, where the stakes get higher and the game turns into more than she bargained for.