La combine de la girafe

Nanard is a prisoner who counts the days until he can leave jail and try to build a life that includes love. The film follows his preparations for release, the small hopes he nurtures, and the awkward steps he plans to take back into ordinary society. Along the way he crosses paths with sympathetic and skeptical people, and we see how past mistakes and a sparse support network complicate his desire for intimacy. The tone mixes light humor with moments of sadness, and the story stays focused on human details rather than big plot twists, keeping the outcome uncertain until the end.

Released in 1983, this French picture was directed by Thomas Gilou and created by François Favre. The cast includes Pierre Guedj, Rémi Laurent, Monique Couturier, Jean-Luc Bideau, and Claude Lecas, and it reflects a modest production typical of small-scale French cinema of the period.

No reliable box office figures are readily available for this title, and it did not surface among major commercial releases of 1983. Its theatrical presence appears limited, which helps explain the scarcity of published revenue or distribution records.

Critical coverage is sparse, so overall reception is hard to pin down from mainstream sources. The film centers on themes of reintegration, loneliness, and the search for dignity after incarceration, with performances that emphasize character detail over spectacle. Viewers drawn to intimate, character-driven stories from 1980s France will likely appreciate its straightforward approach and low-key emotional beats.

The movie never entered the wider cultural conversation and hasn't produced memorable catchphrases or widely referenced scenes. It remains largely obscure, though it may attract interest from collectors and fans of overlooked French films. As a period piece, it offers a small but clear glimpse of social attitudes and filmmaking styles outside the mainstream of its time.