A strange film (spoilers)

Like most I watched the film because it was by Jacques Audiard and it had the bonus of Trintignant and Kassovitz; Yanne was not familiar to me as an actor. The plot is simple as is some of the characterisation, but the relationships are complex but somewhat cold.

A middle-aged man (Simon) decides to become the investigator (and judge and executioner) in the attempted murder of his young friend, a policeman comatose from a shooting. Along the way, via a dream and a meeting with a younger homosexual, he discovers that he's gay and his quest is for his love who is not just a friend.

His journey runs parallel to that of another middle-aged man (Karl Marx would you believe it!) whose gambling career brings him to near ruin. He is saved by the generous nature of his travelling companion (Frederic aka Johnny, because Frederic is a girl's name, according to Marx), who is a simple-minded fellow and ends up exploited by the older man for doing the latter's dirty work. Somewhere in their relationship the older man discovers he has feelings for the younger man and is filled with jealous rage when he spies the younger man dining with Simon.

In the tale both younger men, Frederic/Johnny and Mickey (the man in the coma) are oblivious to their older friends' sexual/emotional feelings.

It's an interesting and morally complex tale but I didn't feel engaged with the characters although I thought the acting was fine, including from Trintignant. I'm left a bit puzzled by the film. Not sure if I would watch it again though I'm sure a rewatch would throw up things missed or mistaken first time around.

I give my respect to those who have earned it; to everyone else, I'm civil.