The film’s title outlines its narrative structure, revolving around a complex con game:

Joe Thanks constantly shifts roles, using the expectations of others against them.

Robert Charlebois and Miou-Miou provide the emotional and comedic friction. Their relationship with Joe is built on a tenuous foundation of greed and shared history, highlighting the theme that in the West, loyalty is a luxury.

The cinematography captures the vast, Monument Valley-esque landscapes, but rather than using them for tension-filled standoffs, Damiani uses the space for elaborate, Rube Goldberg-style setups. The film’s opening, involving a staged shootout and a "miraculous" survival, immediately signals to the audience that this is a West of performance and illusion rather than blood and dust.

Though directed by Damiano Damiani—known for more political "Zapata Westerns" like A Bullet for the General —the fingerprints of producer Sergio Leone are everywhere. The film features a sweeping score by , which oscillates between heroic fanfares and playful, avant-garde melodies that underscore the film’s slapstick nature.