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Au P'tit Zouave is an old-fashioned yarn, given some credence by the sincere performances of the leading actors. The title refers to a seedy café, where the less-than-elite meet to eat, drink and palaver. Most of the characters are the sort of clichés one might find in a dive of this nature, but at least they look and talk like "real people" rather than play-actors. Everyone in "Au P'tit Zouave" is profoundly affected by the arrival of sinister stranger Deny (Francois Perrier). At 104 minutes, the film might have been twice as effective at half the length.