Alphonse Tram is plagued by nightmares of murder and pursuit. Employing existentialism, absurdism and even a little slapstick, writer/director Bertrand Blier leads Alphonse (Gerard Depardieu), his randomly acquired companions, and the viewer through a maze of hallways, stairways, and pathways to meet his fate.

The performances by Depardieu, Blier's father Bernard Blier, and a supporting cast made up of stars from French film and theatre (including an early cameo by Michel Serrault, best known as Albin/Zaza in "La Cage aux Folles"), are all marvelously nuanced and the film hasn't a beat out of place.