Customer Reviews

L'Emmerdeur

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2 star:		(1)
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Here's your chance to see Jacques Brel in one of his rare film appearences--and he's wonderful. Brel-lovers will know that he never quite succeed as an actor, although his every song tells a story. His admirers were simply not ready to accept a move from the concert hall to the big screen, and the "rejection" (coupled with his illness) prompted Brel to withdraw from public life and move to Tahiti. This film is a light comedy in which Brel's character, saved from suicide by a would-be assassin in a neighboring hotel room, attaches himself to the savior/killer and proceeds to bungle the assassin's plan. It's great slapstick fun--Lino Ventura's pure comic evil is tempered by Brel's endearing ineptitude. I've been thinking about this movie for twenty years and never dreamed I'd find a video copy--in the original French with English subtitles--online!!

I enjoyed watching Jacque Brel portray a lonely shirt salesman. After failing to commit suicide over his lost love, Brel attaches himself to a hired gunman becoming a PAIN IN THE A.. The events that happen become a comedy. The gunman doesn't want the police involved in his business or Brels and the two get connected in outrageous circumstances. A very entertaining film.

I first saw this film years ago before I was aware of the influence that Jacques Brel had on the world of music and film."Buddy Buddy" was sheer brilliance with Messrs. Matthau & Lemmon (as always),and it is even better to know that Billy Wilder took his influence from Brel's performance in this film. I only wish for the time when I mention the name Jacques Brel, that people will stop saying "Who?" and appreciate the brilliance of his talent.

An outstanding vehicle for Jacques Brel to display his talent as the most hilarious idiot since Peter Seller's Inspector Clouseau. The humor is Gallic, with a few Pythonesque moments thrown in. Ventura is solid as the hit man who cannot fathom his increasing misfortune. My students love it in spite of the movie's rather bloody beginning (two assassinations). For fans of Black Adder, Python, or even Jeeves & Wooster, not to be missed.

This hysterical movie made its appearance over twenty years ago - I loved it then, and never thought I'd get to see it again!! Brel makes an absolute pest of himself with a hitman intent upon assassination. The "suicide" shower scene is a riot, and for all of us who have known pains in the a, we can relate. It would be the perfect movie if it were dubbed in English, but don't let the subtitles deter you. It's a great film!

If you ever wondered why Billy Wilder's last movie, Buddy Buddy was so weak despite a great cast and a great premise, checking out the Francis Veber-scripted/Eduardo Molinaro-directed French original L'Emmerdeur/A Pain in the A** gives some pretty solid pointers - it's not very good either, seemingly too satisfied at the cleverness of the conceit to really mine it for all its worth. Lino Ventura is the mob hitman whose attempts to set up for a hit for his unforgiving bosses are constantly interrupted by suicidal Jacques Brel in the next hotel room. Unfortunately the first 40 minutes are pretty flat scene setting, with the film taking forever to get into gear and then only cruising fairly gently with the occasional light smiles rather than belly laughs along the way. Veber at least would go onto do much better work.

TFI's French DVD does boast a good widescreen transfer with English subtitles.