So Long, Stooge

Lambert Lambert, a withdrawn, middle-aged man, works the night shift at a gas station in a disadvantaged area of Paris. He is lonely, forlorn, and drinks heavily. One night, Youseff Bensoussan, a young man of mixed Jewish-Arab origins who scrapes a living by selling drugs, enters Lambert’s shop to get supplies from an accomplice and to avoid a police patrol. The two hit it off and soon begin meeting regularly at the station.

Lambert, who disapproves of Bensoussan’s drug usage, tries to act as a father figure for him, though his efforts are imperfect. Bensoussan starts a relationship with Lola Lola, a punk woman. To impress Lola, he “borrows” the motorbike of Rachid, the gang leader for whom he sells drugs, and is beaten up by Rachid’s men as punishment.

One night, Bensoussan’s merchandise is stolen. Lambert proposes to help him out financially so he can pay off his debt to Rachid. Bensoussan returns crying for help; he is murdered by Rachid’s men as Lambert watches powerlessly.

Lambert decides to avenge Bensoussan’s death and takes a leave from work to pursue that mission full time. Bauer, the police detective investigating the murder, visits Lambert: during their conversation, Bauer mentions that Lambert was once in the police himself.

Lambert asks Lola for help; she is initially reluctant, but later helps him find Mahmoud, one of Bensoussan’s murderers. Lambert shoots Mahmoud dead. Lola, while shocked, decides to follow Lambert.

After the attendant who was replacing him at the station is mistaken for him and murdered, Lambert understands that he has been identified as Mahmoud’s killer. He ambushes Rachid outside his bar and shoots him dead. Lambert is suspected by Bauer, but Lola provides him with an alibi.

Lambert intrudes into the home of Sylvio, Rachid’s main drug supplier, and holds him point blank. Sylvio grovels in terror; Lambert decides not to kill him. Lambert gets back home and sleeps with Lola, later telling her his story: when he was in the police, his son developed a drug habit. Lambert then locked him up in their apartment to force his withdrawal; his son escaped and was later found dead from an overdose.

Lambert and Lola leave his apartment, preparing to escape from the city. As he waits for Lola outside the building, Lambert is shot twice. Lola runs toward the dying Lambert, grabs his gun and fires at their unseen assailants.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:42