Character Relationship Map: The Do-Gooders

Characters

• Serge (played by Gérard Lanvin) — protagonist

  Serge is one of the three former accomplices in the failed Cartier robbery. Twenty-four years later, he works as a secondhand dealer at a Montreal flea market after being rejected by his girlfriend. H...

• henri (played by Gérard Darmon) — supporting

  henri is one of the three accomplices from the unsuccessful jewelry-store robbery. He now sells luxury cars in Geneva, where repeated blunders cause trouble with customers, and remains inseparable fro...

• lucien (played by Jacques Villeret) — supporting

  lucien was the accomplice who entered the jewelry store disguised as a Hispanic customer and activated the smoke grenade during the original robbery. Years later, he is a mediocre real-estate agent in...

• Laura (played by Anna Galiena) — supporting

  Laura is connected to the final postal-heist sequence. She spots Serge and henri while they are disguised as postal workers inside a van made to resemble a Post vehicle. Her discovery threatens the op...

• Rémy / Max (played by Pascal Rénéric) — supporting

  Rémy is Max's son and the recruit whose character determines whether the inheritance condition is fulfilled. Serge, henri, and lucien use a false suitcase story to manipulate and test him, then bring...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• lucien → Rémy / Max (Professional Recruiter) — lucien uses manipulation before incorporating Rémy into the gang.

  lucien participates in the deception involving a suitcase falsely presented as belonging to Rémy's late father and later recruits Rémy for the final h...

• henri → Rémy / Max (Professional Recruiter) — henri becomes one of Rémy's operational sponsors in the final scheme.

  henri joins Serge and lucien in reassembling the gang and recruiting Rémy for the Public Treasury robbery.

• Serge → Rémy / Max (Professional Recruiter) — Serge helps bring the younger participant into the criminal operation.

  The three surviving accomplices recruit Rémy for the final heist after assessing whether he is sufficiently gullible.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• henri → Laura (Conflict Observed Adversary) — Laura directly endangers henri's cover during the final robbery.

  Laura spots henri and Serge disguised as postal workers in a disguised van.

• Serge → Laura (Conflict Observed Adversary) — Laura's observation threatens Serge's disguise and the secrecy of the heist.

  Laura spots Serge disguised as a postal worker during the final operation.

• henri → lucien (Alliance Heist Partner) — They remain cooperating members of the criminal team.

  henri and lucien participate in the original jewelry robbery and later reassemble the gang for the postal operation.

• Serge → lucien (Alliance Heist Partner) — Their partnership is sustained across both major criminal schemes.

  Serge and lucien are among the four accomplices in the Cartier robbery and later reunite to execute another heist.

• Serge → henri (Alliance Heist Partner) — They are long-term criminal partners within the reunited gang.

  Serge and henri participate together in the Cartier robbery and later work together in the Public Treasury heist.

Story Analysis

A failed old robbery reunites three aging accomplices for a final scheme whose apparent success is overturned by deception.

Plot Progression

1. The Vault Betrayal — The four criminals attempt a disguised jewelry robbery, but a modified alarm traps one participant in the vault. The failed operation produces a long prison sentence and separates the surviving accomp...
2. Exiles Without Direction — After the prison years, Serge, henri, and lucien live disconnected lives and struggle with personal or professional failure. A letter brings them back together in Paris.
3. The Inheritance Test — The will promises access to hidden loot but makes the inheritance conditional on assessing Rémy's gullibility. The suitcase is destroyed, and deception becomes necessary.
4. A Treasury Opportunity — The promised inheritance turns out to be an ambitious plan targeting taxpayers' checks in postal transit. The old companions recruit Rémy and prepare a new criminal operation.
5. Diamonds And Deception — The postal robbery succeeds despite Laura recognizing two disguised participants. The authorities pay in diamonds, but an unsuspected accomplice seizes the reward.