Three Times Nothing is a heartwarming French comedy-drama directed by Marcel Bluwal and released in 1976. The story follows three young men, Twig, Cap, and Rusty, who live in the Bois de Vincennes, a large public park in the east of Paris. They occupy a makeshift shelter made of canvas and scrap material and get by through odd jobs, scavenging, and petty theft.
One day, they stumble upon a discarded lottery ticket and decide to try their luck. To their surprise, they discover that they have won the jackpot of 16 million francs - but their happiness is short-lived when they realize that the money won't be handed to them in cash. Instead, they have to go through a long and complicated process of proving their identity and going through legal procedures.
As they navigate the bureaucratic maze, the three friends also face challenges in their personal lives. Twig, the de facto leader of the group, is the most pragmatic and cynical of the three, and he initially resists the idea of changing their lifestyle. Cap, on the other hand, is a dreamer who is eager to use the money to fulfill his childhood fantasies, while Rusty is more concerned about his family, who he left behind in Algeria.
As they get closer to collecting the money, the three friends begin to experience the ups and downs of sudden wealth. They attract the attention of a gold-digging woman, encounter jealous rivals and criminals, and struggle to adjust to life outside their familiar park. Meanwhile, they also have to deal with the conflict and jealousy caused by the uneven distribution of the money. Gradually, they learn that money can solve some problems but also create new ones.
Three Times Nothing is a funny and touching film that explores the themes of friendship, identity, and social class with warmth and sensitivity. The performances by the lead actors - Jacques Dutronc, Jacques Villeret, and Claude Brasseur - are excellent, and the film's bittersweet conclusion is both satisfying and thought-provoking.
