2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Laugh Riot!, January 7, 2010
A brilliant comic performance from Gerard Depardieu as a simpleton so annoying and talkative it's hard to believe marks another hilarious collaboration between the heralded star and writer/director Francis Veber and actor Jean Reno. The group from Les Fugitifs, remade in America as Three Fugitives, is equally as good here. Depardieu will have you laughing out load much of the time. Reno is no slouch either as the hardened and dangerous mobster out for revenge against the man who took his only love away. It gets more complicated, and more hilarious by the minute when Quentin (Depardieu) attaches himself to Ruby (Reno), his only friend.
The talent and quality of the three principals, both in front of and behind the camera make this film what others in this genre try to be but are not. In short, this is dumb comedy for smart people, a brilliantly executed exercise in making us smile while feeling a tug in our hearts. A clumsy robbery, an escape from prison that will leave your eyes watering, a can which makes cow sounds and a tender moment between Reno and lovely Leonor Varella all add up to a laugh riot with an underlying warmth missing from others of it's ilk. The mere image of Quentin and Ruby opening a pub together is enough to make you smile.
Depardieu is hysterically funny and Reno is terrific as the criminal who first can't believe Depardieu is even for real, since no one could be that annoying or dense, then can't believe he's softening toward him the closer he gets to carrying out his plans. The two are handcuffed together without any handcuffs, and it's an absolutely delightful ride for the viewer. This is a lowbrow comedy with class. If you like belly laughs, and want to see what's wrong with the moronic films often passed off as comedy today, get a copy of Tais Toi to remind yourself funny films are still being made. A real winner.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A VERY funny movie, December 5, 2007
This review is from: Ruby & Quentin (DVD)
I really enjoyed this movie. Depardieu shows his versatility as an actor this time playing the role of a very simpleminded but talkative fugitive, who ends up sharing a cell with a much more sinister character played by Jean Reno. Very watchable movie with much heart.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Be Quiet!" Gérard Depardieu & Jean Reno in Well-made, Character-Driven Comedy, June 22, 2006
This review is from: Ruby & Quentin (DVD)
"Tais-toi!" (meaning `Shut-up') is also known as "Ruby & Quentin" in some countries. Whatever it is, the film's greatest asset is its stars - Gérard Depardieu and Jean Reno. In spite of the capable supports from Jean-Pierre Malo, Richard Berry, and Leonor Varela, the film belongs to the two leading stars.
Gérard Depardieu plays Quentin, a criminal who made a silly mistake in commiting 'bank robbery.' Now in prison, Quentin has a knack of irritating the guys around him by his constant gab. He is the worst kind of inmate to be with, who never stops asking things a single moment, and he thinks he is a very nice person trying to be gentle while you are most likely driven to madness by his constant chatting.
Jean Reno is a professional killer Ruby, who has stolen money from the mobster/his former employer Vogel (Jean-Pierre Malo), and hid it somewhere he alone knows. Both the boss of the gangster and Police Commissionaire Vernet (Richard Berry) want to know the place of the money, but Ruby never speaks a single word about anything in prison.
Now what would happen if Ruby and Quentin are thrown into the same cell? What if they manage to escape from the prison, running away from the mob and the police? You may call it all too familiar, this story about the two opposites, but French veteran writer/director Francis Veber turns this situation into an enjoyable, well-made comedy, of which story plays second fiddle to the chemistry of two characters. Talkative Gérard Depardieu are laconic Jean Reno are always amusing to see for the totally different reasons.
Francis Veber has made an impressive list of works as writer and director, including two recent examples "The Dinner Game" and "The Closet," and you might know his name through the Hollywood remakes which uses his screenplays like "The Birdcage." Surely it depends on your taste, but though "Tais-toi!" is a very good comedy, I don't think it is his best film. As in his rather disappointing 1996 film "Le Jaguar" (which incidentally starred Jean Reno and Patricia Verasquez), Veber, whose forte is creating unforgettable characters, is not good at handling the action sequences. "Tais-toi!" has a few actions, and suddenly the film's touch becomes unsure, even banal.
Fortunately the actions are not many, and Depardieu and Reno are always there, providing what only good character-driven comedies can give. Except for some brief moments, "Tais-toi!" is fun for any film fans, especially the fans of Jean Reno, who have been in the not-so-great works like `Godzilla' `Mission Impossible' and `The DaVinci Code.'
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