Anthony Zimmer

Anthony Zimmer is a genius criminal sought by authorities around the world, and he is pursued by the White Collar Barons. Chiara Manzoni devises a plan to reunite with him by exploiting a lookalike who matches Zimmer’s build, aiming to throw their pursuers off his trail. The setup establishes a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game that spans continents.

Chiara travels to stage the deception by picking François Taillandier, a bland 38-year-old translator whose appearance matches Zimmer. She equips him with a watch bearing Zimmer’s name and triggers the plan to mislead investigators. François senses something unusual but becomes intrigued by the mysterious woman and the mission ahead.

In Cannes, Chiara invites François to stay with her at the Carlton Hotel, cementing the ruse. She further ties him to the deception by presenting him with the Zimmer watch and hinting at a possible true identity. François is drawn into a dangerous game as the city becomes a chessboard.

The next morning François wakes to two hitmen pursuing him and frantically escapes. He seeks shelter at a nearby police station where Lt. Camel Driss helps him change clothes and arranges care at a hospital. They realize Chiara checked out of the Carlton that day, and the hotel room bears a bullet hole.

That night, Driss is murdered as the danger closes in. François and Chiara retreat to a secret hideout in Nice, where she reveals that she set up the lookalike ruse and explains that François matches Zimmer’s build, instructing him to stay hidden for a few days. The plan moves deeper into a web of espionage and betrayal.

The following day François leaves the hideout and tries to stalk Chiara outside the Hotel Negresco, hoping to get answers. He is nabbed by the police and interrogated by Akerman, who confirms Chiara is an undercover DGDDI agent and hints at broader stakes. The danger expands beyond their initial deception.

Akerman meets Chiara privately to discuss the rendezvous Zimmer proposed in the classified ad. He tells her that she will be at the rendezvous point while he keeps watch on François. The plan tightens as both sides prepare for the final confrontation.

With François in custody, Akerman's team positions snipers around Zimmer's old mansion for the planned meeting. Chiara enters the mansion and confronts the White Collar Barons and Nassaiev, who threaten to kill her if Zimmer does not arrive within five minutes. The tension peaks as the clock ticks toward the confrontation.

François rushes into the mansion to save Chiara but is immediately subdued by Nassaiev's men. Chiara signals, and the snipers unleash, taking down the Russian mobsters in a volley of precise fire. The immediate danger subsides, revealing the depth of their tangled loyalties.

In the aftermath, François reveals that he is actually Anthony Zimmer. He refuses to flee at first, then opens a secret safe and removes a notebook with his banking information, leaving it by the front door for Akerman as a final token of his life of crime. Chiara decides not to reveal his true identity to the police, choosing to protect their bond.

Chiara and Zimmer decide to escape together, driving away to face an uncertain future. Their partnership shifts from pursuit to partnership, as they leave the underworld behind for a chance at a quieter life. The final image hints at a fragile but hopeful new beginning.