Desperate to impress his long-distance girlfriend, Bruno hijacks a school bus and, at gunpoint, forces the driver, kids and their teacher to accompany him on his long wayward odyssey to the girl’s home. Bruno is less an angry young man than a confused loner sorely in need of attention; Rochant and Attal make him sympathetic, but never gloss over his ludicrous braggadocio or his fundamental wrong-headedness abouthis beloved’s feelings. Indeed, what makes the film so engrossing is its complexity: what is basically a simple road-thriller plot is enormously enhanced by subtle performances, a telling use of landscape and psychological details, and an assured control of mood, which shifts effortessly between manic comedy, taut suspense and more contemplative moments. A winner all the way