The film CONTINENTAL, UN FILM SANS FUSIL (CONTINENTAL, A FILM WITHOUT GUNS) begins with a man’s disappearance in the woods after leaving a bus.  His wife is given solace through a get well card (only card they could find) from her colleagues and from there, director Lafleur weaves together the lives of four others. 

The stories are of ordinary fragile folk, which make them realistic and heartfelt.  His films works when he turns up the humour a notch or two, most of it from smart observations from daily routines that somehow appear funnier on screen.  But Lafleur’s film pacing is monotonous.  Not building up to a climax, the film eventually turns to an everyday unimpressive yawn.  The wife’s story is the most interesting of the lot.  Lafleur’s film looks good cinematographically, but that is about it.  Fragility need not be equated with weakness and hopelessness.  That is is the identical theme among the 4 stories.