Summary
Each week, the patriarchal grandfather Constantin insists that his three sons bring their
families to his home for a meal. Invariably, the experience proves to be a nightmare
for all concerned, but the ritual is undertaken each week without fail. Although
the three sons don’t really get on, they agree to pool their resources to buy a lorry.
Meanwhile, the seemingly benign Constantin helps to indoctrinate his grandchildren in
his shady exploits.
Review
After a career as an actor which spanned three decades and around 150 films, Michel Piccoli
finally decided to take his place in the director’s chair. His first full-length
film, Alors voilà, is intended as a wry yet realist portrait of a typical
dysfunctional French family. Unfortunately, Piccoli’s skill as a director in no
way matches his talent as an actor, and this really does feel like a first film from a
dilettante filmmaker. For a number of reasons, the film has difficulty engaging
the spectator’s attention – there doesn’t seem to be any driving narrative thrust, the
characters are unconvincing stereotypes, the direction feels lazy and a tad complacent.
The fact that none of the characters in the film is remotely sympathetic hardly helps,
but it is really the lack of any sense that the film is going anywhere which is most off-putting.
© James Travers 2006
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© James Travers 2006
Write a review for this film...
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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
- Other French films of the 1990s
- The best French films of the 1990s
- Other French comedy-dramas
- The best French comedy-dramas
- Biography and films of Michel Piccoli
To buy this film
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Credits
- Director: Michel Piccoli
- Script: Thomas Cheysson, Michel Piccoli
- Photo: Laurent Machuel
- Music: Arno
- Cast: Roland Amstutz (René), Arno (Arno), Mickaël Bessière (Pierrot), Dominique Blanc (Rose), Bernard Bloch (Marcel), Lauris Coucaud (Jeannot), Pascal Elso (Henri), Nathalie Eno (Janine), Maurice Garrel (Constantin), Dyna Gauzy (Maria), Michèle Gleizer (Suzie), Audrey Guillaume (Mireille), Roger Jendly (Loulou), Elisabeth Margoni (Vivianne), Gérald Mauroy (Le vigile), Chantal Neuwirth (La bouchère), Jean-Michel Portal (Luc), Agatha Rouland (La fiancée)
- Country: France
- Language: French
- Runtime: 97 min
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