TMBTMB
TMBTMB

Track, discover and find where to watch TV shows and movies.

Discover

  • Movies
  • TV Shows
  • Browse
  • Topics

Account

  • Watchlist
  • Watched
  • Ratings

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Content Policy

© 2026 Movie Browser. All rights reserved.

Data provided by TMDB

Home
Browse
Watchlist
backdrop
backdrop
logo
A conman builds a fake highway and accidentally builds himself a conscience.
TMDB
66
IMDb
71
Rotten Tomatoes
74
Google
71
Watch(FR)

In the Beginning (2009)

grifter elegyrustic noirslow-burn redemption

Overview

Drama

France, present day. A professional conman passes himself off as the boss of a construction site building a highway extension. He cons the whole region, hires dozens of workers and cynically enjoys the profits of his scam until he meets the lady mayor of a small village that the road will go through. She intrigues and unsettles him, before revealing to him a world he never knew: feelings. How far will he go now to save his victims and save himself from his own lies?

Flag of FRFRFrench
Content warning

Standout Aspects

Acting

Cluzet's shifty vulnerability—can't look away from this liar's eyes.

Direction

Giannoli lets scenes breathe until the con becomes uncomfortably real.

Cinematography

Bleached French countryside that looks like a dream the protagonist is stealing.

Best for:Solo: Late night when you want to feel something ugly and true.·Streaming: Perfect for a rainy Sunday with wine and existential dread.
Heads up:Emotional: Worker exploitation hits hard; the human cost of the con is devastating.
Xavier Giannoli

Director

Xavier Giannoli

ReleasedNov 11, 2009
Runtime2h 10m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Paceslow
Intensitymedium
Tonemixed
Feelheavy
EuropaCorp
France 3 Cinéma

Top Cast

François Cluzet

François Cluzet

Philippe Miller

Emmanuelle Devos

Emmanuelle Devos

Stéphane

Gérard Depardieu

Gérard Depardieu

Abel

Soko

Soko

Monika

Vincent Rottiers

Vincent Rottiers

Nicolas

Brice Fournier

Brice Fournier

Louis

Franck Andrieux

Franck Andrieux

Pascal

Stéphan Wojtowicz

Stéphan Wojtowicz

Marty

Patrick Descamps

Patrick Descamps

Bollard

Stéphane Jobert

Stéphane Jobert

Patrick

Éric Herson-Macarel

Éric Herson-Macarel

Barracher

Patrick Bonnel

Patrick Bonnel

Cadre CGI

François Loriquet

François Loriquet

Cadre CGI

Nathalie Boutefeu

Nathalie Boutefeu

Marie

Corinne Masiero

Corinne Masiero

Corinne

Ask about In the Beginning

Opens AI chat

Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Insight

Giannoli based the film on real 1990s French highway fraud cases where conmen actually built stretches of road using stolen equipment and forged contracts.

Trivia

Cluzet and Devos had previously played lovers in 'My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument' (1996), making their reunion here carry unexpected romantic history.

Gallery

Reviews

No ratings yet

Start the discussionBe the first to post — spoiler-safe
Rate & reviewBe the first to weigh in

Recommended

The Minister movie poster (2011)
6.4

The Minister

Chaos movie poster (2001)
6.4

Chaos

Secret Name movie poster (2021)
6.0

Secret Name

Final Set movie poster (2021)
6.1

Final Set

Like a Son movie poster (2024)
6.1

Like a Son

Kompromat movie poster (2022)
6.3

Kompromat

The Beasts movie poster (2022)
7.5

The Beasts

Another World movie poster (2022)
6.8

Another World

The Girl in the Book movie poster (2015)
5.8

The Girl in the Book

Haute Couture movie poster (2021)
6.1

Haute Couture

Serie Noire movie poster (1979)
7.5

Serie Noire

The Visit movie poster (1964)
7.2

The Visit

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds movie poster (1972)
7.3

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds

Blast movie poster (2022)
6.7

Blast

TalhotBlond movie poster (2012)
6.3

TalhotBlond

Discussion

Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.

Discussion starters

View all comments →