Half a Chance (1998)
Alice Tomaso gets out of jail, and goes looking for Léo and Julien, one of whom, it appears, is her father. On the way, she steals the wrong car - one belonging to the Russian mafia, and arrives at her destination with a gang of thugs out looking for her and the car.
What people think about Half a Chance
Half a Chance is the kind of breezy, stylish action-comedy that feels like a reunion tour for charisma itself, powered by the irresistible chemistry of Alain Delon and Jean‑Paul Belmondo. It moves with a light touch and a quick pulse—witty banter, slick set pieces, and old-school stunts that remind you how much fun action can be when it’s played with confidence rather than noise. The vibe is playful and escapist, letting the danger stay exciting without ever losing its grin, as a simple search turns into a gleefully escalating chase. If you’re looking for gritty realism or deep character study, this isn’t that kind of night—but if you want a charming, under-the-radar crowd-pleaser with star power to spare, it’s an easy recommendation.
Half a Chance is clearly trying to be a breezy, star-powered French action-comedy: a cheeky crime mix-up, a paternity mystery, and a Russian-mafia chase all rolled into one. The problem is the film never really clicks into a coherent rhythm, so the plot feels like it’s making things up as it goes and the villains barely register as a threat. If you’re coming for sharp comedy, tight action, or a story that holds together, this can feel like a long, slightly lazy victory lap for its famous leads rather than a properly built movie. Still, if you’re a fan of the cast and you just want light banter and nostalgic screen presence without caring too much about logic, you may get enough out of it.
Cast
Jean-Paul BelmondoLéo Brassac
Alain DelonJulien Vignal
Vanessa ParadisAlice Tomaso
Michel AumontLedoyen
Eric DefosseCarella
Aleksandr YakovlevTrenchcoat killer
Valeri GatayevAnatoli Sharkov
Jacques RomanAttorney Varinot
Sandrine CaronButler- LLuis Jaime-CortezÁngel Vargas
MbemboMarilyne
Philippe MagnanPrison judge- DDaniel MillotBrigadier
Marie NeplazInterior designer- BBobby PachaUnderground mechanic
Olivier ParentyCarella's assistant- PPascal PerbostThug
- PPaul PoggiMr. Perolaz
Crew
- Director
- Patrice Leconte
- Producers
- Christian Fechner
- Music
- Alexandre Desplat
- Cinematography
- Steven Poster
- Editing
- Joëlle Hache
Details
- Released
- March 25, 1998
- Language
- French
- Studio
- TF1 Films Production, Les Films Christian Fechner, UGC Films
- IMDb
- tt0119247
