Agent Trouble (1987)

A drifter (Tom Novembre) discovers a bus full of dead tourists and proceeds to rob the bodies. Returning home, he visits his aunt (Catherine Deneuve) and tells her what he has done. This brings her to the attention of an assassin (Richard Bohringer). When her nephew is later found murdered, she resolves to find not only his killer but the secret of the busload of dead tourists. Based on the novel THE MAN WHO LOVED ZOOS by Malcolm Bosse and directed by Jean Pierre Mocky (LE MIRACULE). An often bewildering satirical conspiracy thriller that when it was over, I still wasn't clear on the specifics of the "cover up". I found the nephew's character repugnant and was relieved when he was killed off about forty minutes into the film so I wouldn't have to see him again. A deglamorized Deneuve (wearing a hideous wig) maintains enough charm that she manages to hold the film together as well as being the only character in the movie that one remotely cares about. She was nominated for a best actress award at the Cesars (the French Oscars) for her work here and Dominique Lavanant as her next door neighbor got the best supporting actress award. With an early Kristin Scott Thomas performance as a hooker, Sophie Moyse and Maxime Leroux.