Summary
Yan, a successful artist, is waiting for his date, Florence, to turn up at his apartment.
His doorbell rings and on his doorstep he finds another young woman, his neighbour Eva,
dressed in her underwear. She tells him she has just locked herself out of her apartment
and insists that he helps her. Whilst trying to enter Eva’s apartment via their
adjoining balcony, the phone rings. It is Florence, and she is not impressed when
a half-naked young woman answers the phone. At this point, Eva’s rabidly jealous
boyfriend Boris returns home and, seeing Yan in his apartment, deduces that Eva has been
having an affair behind his back. Florence then turns up and Yan tries in vain to
explain the situation. By chance, Florence’s husband suddenly puts in an appearance.
After that, it all starts to get a bit complicated...
Review
Comedy genius Pierre Richard is on fine form in this convoluted but thoroughly entertaining
bedroom farce, directed by Edouard Molinaro. The film is an adaptation of a successful
play by Gérard Lauzier which ran for one year in Paris, in 1986, and starred Daniel
Auteuil. Although the narrative does get somewhat repetitive and overly complicated
in a few places, the exuberant performances from Richard and his magnificent co-stars
- Richard Bohringer, Emmanuelle Béart and Fanny Cottençon – just keep the
comedy rolling. The star of the film is the door to Pierre Richard’s apartment,
which supplies most of the laughs even gets an on-screen credit (it’s not the first time
an inanimate piece of wood masquerading as an actor has had that honour).
© James Travers 2006
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© James Travers 2006
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Useful links
- Best French films of 2011
- Best French films of the 2000s
- Best of the French New Wave
- Best of French film comedy
- The best 100 French films
- The most successful French films
- Great French filmmakers
Related links
- The best French comedies
- Other French films of the 1980s
- The best French films of the 1980s
- Other French comedies
- Biography and films of Edouard Molinaro
To buy this film
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Credits
- Director: Edouard Molinaro
- Script: Gérard Lauzier
- Photo: Robert Fraisse
- Music: Murray Head
- Cast: Pierre Richard (Yann Ducoudray), Richard Bohringer (Boris), Emmanuelle Béart (Éva), Fanny Cottençon (Florence Arnaud), Pierre Vernier (André Arnaud), Jean-Michel Dupuis (Jean-Yves), Martine Maximin (Marilda), Albert Simono (L’automobiliste), Aïna Walle (Natacha), Eric Blanc (Un agent de police), Michel Creton (Le brigadier), Mireille Audibert (La femme de la galerie)
- Country: France
- Language: French
- Runtime: 83 min
- Aka: Door on the Left as You Leave the Elevator
Similar films
If you like this film you may also like the following:- L’Aile ou la cuisse (1976)
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- L’Amour l’après-midi (1972)
- Astérix et Obélix Mission Cléopâtre (2002)
- La Cage aux folles (1978)
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- Le Dîner de cons (1998)
- Liberté-Oléron (2001)
- Musée haut, musée bas (2008)
- Parade (1974)
- Le Père Noël est une ordure (1982)
- Themroc (1973)
- Travail d’Arabe (2003)
- La Vie est un roman (1983)
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