A mobster and a taxi driver give a new definition to the phrase "horse race" in this low-key comedy drama. Réno (Serge Riaboukine) is a second-rate gangster whose attempted big deals haven't been especially successful lately. Réno is losing bets at a racetrack when he spies a horse named Capone, owned by some mod cronies, who looks to have the makings of a winner. Figuring the horse could earn a guy a few solid paydays, Réno commandeers a horse trailer, urges Capone inside, and then hails a cab, driven by Alex (Gérald Laroche). Réno hitches the trailer to Alex's cab and convinces him to drive the horse to Lapland, where Réno can set Capone up in a few races. The tidy and methodical Alex doesn't much case for the sloppy, chain-smoking Réno at first, but the two begin to warm to one another as the miles go by, and they find some adventure along the way as they meet up with gypsies, innkeepers, and revelers at a all-night "midnight sun" party. However, it isn't long before Réno's bosses find out what he's done, and they give chase as they try to recover Capone. Originally produced for French television, Capone received its American premiere at the 2004 Seattle Film Festival.
by Mark Deming
synopsis
