Brought into the prospering family business (a tannery) by his father-in-law, Pierre spends his days in comfortable ennui and his nights in sexual frustration (revealed in a jaw-droppingly strange and clever dream sequence), which he hopes to cure with his comely new secretary (Nicole Kalfan), his contemplated pursuit of whom builds to a giant wind-up toy of ludicrously intricate complications.

NEWYORKER: Le Grand Amour

Americans learned that the hard way after the North American Free Trade Agreement, when Mexico turned out to be less than the rapidly prospering paragon of good government touted by President Clinton and his allies in big business.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy