Le coup du sort

In the French Basque Country, near Saint-Jean-les-Bains, young man Julien (Noriega) finds a corpse, buried with jewels, in an abandoned car near a ravine. Julien cannot resist the temptation and takes the jewels with him. He later learned from the press that the man in the car was killed. Maria (Galiena), the boarding lady who accommodates Julien, brings him into contact with a healer. Julien and Maria become lovers, cash in on the loot and flee. It is quite obvious that this does not lead to a happy ending and that the opportunistic amateur thief is confronted with professional criminals. Galiena, in particular, as an Italian hotel keeper, Maria, impresses in a beautiful drama written by Valérie Bonnier, Carlos Perez-Merinero, Luis Maria and Robert Valey.

Directed by Rafael Moleón, Le coup du sort leans on a strong ensemble — Marta Belaustegui, Eduardo Noriega, Anna Galiena — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about thriller titles of 1997.