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3.0 out of 5 stars
Puzzling comedy that makes you laugh but..., March 7, 2009
This review is from: Papy fait de la résistance (DVD)
A stellar cast. A French comedy that actually makes you laugh.
Politically incorrect. Could it be better?
Yes, definitely yes. I felt since the beginning that this film was made
by either a deranged mind or by a film student. The plot is erratic at
best, it needs some heavy "editing". It'd never survived a "studio",
for good and bad reasons. It's an original take on the French
"resistance", although following all the clichés (the dumb Germans/
"Boches") follow 2 stereotypes: a) cultivated, full of mannerisms (a
good Roland Giraud) and b) fat ugly dumb characters (Jacques Villeret,
who has acted like God on "Diner des cons" and "Les Enfants du Marais")
(Gérard Jugnot, who did well in a small role at "Bronzés 3"). The
prejudices on gays and foreigners, like Ramírez (let alone Germans, but
that's natural given the "genre").
What really puzzled me was the last "act". Very "Theatre in theatre", I
think that, hadn't it been there, the audience would have appreciated.
But playing mind games, acting well and pretending to be witty must
have allured them to make one take too many.
A film with Brialy and Balasko in very secondary roles has to be
perfect or it's a failure. This is not exactly perfect... Michel Blanc
(!), a dazzling Dominique Lavanant (Soeur Therese)... there's not one
actor who cannot star a good film.
Lhermitte as a Nazi is funny if peculiar, Yanne as a collaborationist
is just one of the sour role we know he does so well.
Jacques Villeret did the scene I liked most, his musical "numero" of
Von Apfelstrudel (!)'s feelings. Perfect (and very funny!). Look at the
"coreography" with Nazi soldiers moving like starlets :).
I'm glad I saw this film, I think it's rather "corageous" in some of
its aesthetic decisions, but wouldn't recommend it without knowing the
audience's tastes!
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