Jean (Gérard Depardieu) is a career criminal fresh from a stint in the big house. Mere minutes after leaving prison, though, he's taken hostage by an inept would-be bank robber, Francois (Pierre Richard), looking for a cure for his silent daughter. With the pursuing police assuming they're in cahoots, Jean and Francois become unlikely allies, the seasoned vet teaching the nervous novice the tricks of the trade while they head for safety in ludicrous disguises.