The Swindle: Claude Chabrol’s film follows a couple of small-time scam artists who travel around France and pull off minor swindles. As they prepare for a season at a ski resort, however, they get involved with a man planning to carry a large amount of money out of Europe. The characters are naturally unlikeable, and their relationship (a mix of unconvincing romance and convenience) is also unpleasant; their marks, realized or potential, are also hard to care for. The con itself, and the plot in general, are exceedingly simplistic, so almost nothing in this film works efficiently. The main exception is the cast: Isabelle Huppert as the seductress is in fine shape, and Michel Serrault, as her older, calculating partner, is good as well; François Cluzet cuts a good figure as their main victim. Aesthetically, the film is efficient but unremarkable.