The Con Artists

In southern France during the Roaring Twenties, Bang is moved to a high-security hard-labor facility as part of a larger jailbreak scheme. The plan is orchestrated by his former wife Belle Duke and his daughter Charlotte, who enlist their aid to spring him. The transfer is presented as routine, concealing the escape plot until it is already underway.

On the move, Bang is unexpectedly pressed into aiding Felix, a younger con man, as Bang prepares to depart the train via the wagon restroom. Felix improvises a bold escape plan, pulling Bang into the role of accomplice. The unlikely partnership seeds a tangled game of cat-and-mouse between the two men.

Felix is mistaken for Bang and seized by Belle Duke's henchmen, who control her casino yacht. Belle Duke, furious at the mix-up, insists that Bang must be freed and brought to heel. Felix manages to slip away from the thugs, setting the stage for further confrontations.

Belle Duke uses Charlotte to set Bang and Felix up for her own purposes, pressing them into engagement with her plans. Bang is wary, having fleeced Belle before, but he agrees to participate to secure his freedom. The arrangement deepens the manipulation and stakes of the con.

Leveraging his knowledge of the transit facility, Felix stages a daring escape using a purloined priest's cassock and a cuckoo clock bomb. Bang is pulled into the breakout, and the two men re-enter Belle Duke’s orbit under new pretenses. The escape redefines their alliance and the danger they face.

Bang hesitates to return to Belle Duke, knowing he previously fleeced her of wealth while in prison. His reluctance creates tension but also motivates him to keep the con going for mutual advantage. The risk of Belle's revenge remains a constant cloud over their plan.

After testing Felix’s talents and attitudes, Bang, Felix, and Charlotte become a working team. Charlotte’s loyalty and love for Felix deepen the bond between them as they plan their moves. They begin to execute more elaborate cons against Belle Duke.

The trio launches a fake archeological discovery, using authentic museum exhibits to lend legitimacy to a scam around a worthless swampland. They drive the price up with a believable backstory and a staged museum-grade presentation. Belle Duke is drawn in, wagering her money on the bogus find.

To cement the illusion, Felix claims Charlotte has been kidnapped, exploiting Bang’s distressed reaction to sell the con to Belle Duke. The ruse heightens Belle Duke’s confidence in the scheme and makes her more determined to close the deal. The deception tightens the trap around Bang and Felix.

Felix sprints away with the money, apparently dying when his escape boat crashes into a boathouse and explodes. The police arrive, supposedly arresting Bang in despair, but the squad turns out to be Bang’s own con gang in disguise. The double bluff keeps Bang and Felix free to press the con further.

The police reveal themselves as Bang’s con comrades, and Felix leads a motorcycle escort composed of shop-window mannequins. The trick deceives Belle Duke and buys them more time to plan their next move. The ruse showcases the team's theatrical cunning and resourcefulness.

Bang, Felix, and Charlotte escape Belle Duke by slipping away on a single-engine airplane. Belle Duke’s pursuit intensifies as she realizes the con has outpaced her. The trio rides a high-altitude finale toward safety and revenge against the casino queen.

In a last gambit, Felix throws open the plane door and spills the fleeced 100 million Francs into the wind, only to reel them back in with a cunningly arranged line. The money is repeatedly bluffed and controlled through clever ropework and timing. The caper ends with the crew clutching their prize as Belle Duke’s pursuit fades into the clouds.