The Fall of the American Empire

For those who prefer their larcenous high jinks leavened by a serious social conscience, this ebullient romp is just the ticket.

There are bigger incongruities around the corner... that bury the film's credibility.

[The Fall of the American Empire] is at its best depicting a certain optimism in the face of all these malicious and random forces.

This often well-acted and intriguing blend of caper and commentary comes off as forced and heavy-handed, scoring obvious points without offering anything particularly new. Heck, there's even a hooker with a heart of gold.

Though jarringly violent at times, the film becomes a wash of low-keyed comic attitudes thrown into the works of a crime story.

When Pierre-Paul enjoys a gentle S&M scenario with Camille, while also quoting Plato's dialogues, "The Fall of the American Empire" reaches peak eyeroll-inducing wish fulfillment.

If it feels like everyone's a tool in a script instead of an engaging person, that's because that's the case.

I love the way [director Denys] Arcand blends different genres. This is satire, a romance and also a thriller.

...a thoughtful, good-hearted film full of unexpected turns, that has something in particular to say and it says it in a gentler, subtler way than most social satires might.

Arcand ends up overextending the crime-movie motif by trying to fashion a sedate tale about morality, which is an interesting premise, but this flatly acted heap of malaise doesn't do the idea justice.