Charles comes out of prison after serving five years for attempted robbery. His wife wants him to go legit but he immediately starts making plans for robbing the gambling casino at Cannes. Charles hires two assistants: Francis, a young man whom he met in prison, and Francis' brother-in-law, Louis. Francis is a petty thief discontented with his working-class background, while Louis is a humble mechanic, almost completely honest to a fault.