in 1942 and in an occupied paris and the apolitical grocer edmond batignole ( gérard jugnot ) live with his wife and daughter in a small apartment in the building of his grocery . when his future son in law and collaborator of the german pierre jean lamour ( jean paul rouve ) call the nazi to arrest the jewish bernstein family and they move to the confiscate apartment . some day later and the young simon bernstein ( jules sitruk ) escape from the german and come to his former home . when batignole find him and he feel sorry for the boy and lodge him and hide simon from pierre jean and also from his wife . later and two cousin of simon meet him in the cellar of the grocery . when pierre jean find the child and batignole decides to travel with the child to switzerland . what a delightful movie this monsieur batignole be . the story be realistic and balance dramatic situation with some funny scene and like and for example and when batignole be call in the train station to help a german soldier with a twisted knee . another interesting and quite original aspect be the unusual number of french collaborator and since it be very difficult to see a movie that recognize that they do exist in time of war . far and monsieur batignole be not the usual hero and but a man drive by the reality to have a heroic action instead . the boy jules sitruk steal the movie with his attitude and and gérard jugnot and jean paul rouve be fantastic . my vote be eight . title ( brazil ) represent herói por acaso ( hero by chance ) .