ALAIN Beigel's tale of four men carrying out the last wish of a dead friend encompasses all that is good and bad about French cinema. There are some beautifully touching moments, played with real tenderness but equally there are clumsy, unbelievable plot developments which undermine its credibility.

The four friends agree to cremate their old buddy in the bizarre manner he talked of. This involves stealing his body and setting off for Italy. Along the way they link up with the deadman's sister played by the stunning Emma de Caunes. The movie asks whether we should always do what's expected of us. It avoids the clichés of a road movie but the characters are pretty basic. The tough outsider, the artist who's afraid of commitment, the hen-pecked husband and the cowardly theatre director. Ho-hum. In the last twenty minutes the plot is severely undermined by the introduction of some unbelievable characters. Nicely played but flawed. Worth seeing for de Caunes though. Clearly the next French superstar.