The Adventures of Arsene Lupin

Something of a kick-boxing Raffles the Gentleman Thief, Arsene Lupin (Duris) keeps the police on their toes while ransacking the houses of wealthy Parisians and carrying on clandestine affair or two during the latter years of the 19th century. Working on the conjuror's theory of distracting his victims, as taught to him by his father, Arsene is hugely successful - until his life and crimes get a little complicated when he meets Josephine, the Countess of Cagliostro (Scott Thomas). The character of Arsene Lupin is something of a folk-hero in France (he's the hero of 18 novels by Maurice Leblanc, and this is the latest in a long line of movies that stretches all the way back to 1909), and director Salome has put together a fast-paced period romp that is excellent on period detail but a little light on realism or plausibility - although, to be fair, everyone here seems to be acting around a tongue that's wedged firmly in their cheek. Duris copes manfully with the pressure of being a composite Valentino, Zorro and Claude Van Damme, giving his character plenty of dramatic flourishes, while Scott Thomas sashays around looking impossibly comfortable in a corset. Lob in some genre-mangling tropes, a few breathless getaways and the occasional bonkers plot-twist, and it all adds up to harmless fun.