Michel Poiccard is a petty Parisian criminal who aspires to be Humphrey Bogart. After he steals a car and shoots a police officer, his life starts to resemble the plots of American gangster films as he dodges cops and plans his escape from the law. His "girl" Patricia -- an American student --i s torn between following Michel and staying in Paris. Her final decision leads to a fatal conclusion and one of the most memorable endings in cinema.