Although it's been claimed that the three features in Lucas Belvaux's audacious triptych can be viewed in any order, the sequence makes more sense if you start here.
The majority of the recurring characters play a part, but the focus is firmly on Belvaux's one-time revolutionary, who escapes from prison determined to wreak revenge on the gangster he thinks squealed on him 15 years earlier.
The tone is decidedly noir as he interacts with three Grenoble teachers - lapsed comrade Catherine Frot, chalet-owning Ornella Muti and junkie Dominique Blanc - while doing whatever's necessary to survive. But just as impressive as the taut storyline is Belvaux's growing sense of isolation and his despair at the France that has emerged from his failure to provoke radical change. Crisply filmed and edited, this could stand alone.