The unfortunate boy in this French movie hasn't got a reliable friend, and he needs one. His father, perhaps unhinged by the death of his wife, beats and torments him almost constantly. His older brother, instead of protecting him, keeps watch over him for the father. His best friend, a homosexual, is in love with him, but the boy is in love with the best friend's sister. When the best friend catches the two in bed together, all hell breaks loose.

The producers of this French film took approximately 100 people, put them on a soundstage and had them improvise this film based on the premise that they are on a spaceship escaping from the dictators of earth and only have a few days to live. Improvisation is a dangerous art-form; unprepared amateurs invariably come up with gross caricatures when challenged to improvise. The actors' choices in this film include an allegorical pageant of the life of Jesus, a marriage, an orgy, and some genuinely affectionate moments. Nonetheless, as an experimental effort in large-group improvisation, the film is instructive. - Clarke Fountain, Rovi