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Le Mouton
1960 Comedy / Crime
Review
Le Mouton is unapologetically
one of those slapdash low budget comedies intended to showcase the
talents of a popular comedian of the day, in this case Fernand
Raynaud. Although the script is awful, a concoction of silly
situations that barely resembles a plot, Raynaud’s presence more than
makes up for this and, whilst clearly not a masterpiece, the film
manages to be surprisingly entertaining. Director Pierre
Chevalier isn’t put off by the mediocre screenplay and directs the film
with gusto, even managing to slip in some amusing nods to Buston Keaton
and film noir. Although he is barely remembered today (and is almost completely unknown outside his native France), Fernand Raynaud was one of the leading French comedians of the 1950s and ’60s, made famous by his audience-grabbing television and stage appearances. His attempt to break into cinema was far from successful and few, if any, of the dozen or so films he appeared in matched up to his talent as a performer. But as Le Mouton amply demonstrates, Raynaud could shine even in the darkest of places, entertaining his audience no matter how uninspiring the material he was landed with. © filmsdefrance.com 2009 Write a review for this film... User Comments
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Director:
Pierre Chevalier
Starring: Fernand Raynaud, Danièle Lebrun, Patricia Karim, Florence Blot Synopsis
Fernand Castel is a timid police functionary, happy with his deskbound
job, but wishing he could earn more money so that he can impress
Gisèle, the attractive waitress he has fallen in love
with. One day, his superior offers him a pay rise if he will
undertake an important mission for the police – to gain the confidence
of a notorious crook, the Tiger, who has recently been arrested but who
refuses to reveal the identity of his fellow gang members.
Reluctantly, Fernand agrees and, having staged a public arrest, the
police throw him into the same cell as the Tiger. The latter has
succeeded in digging a tunnel out of the cell and coerces Fernand into
escaping with him. Before he realises what is happening, Fernand
finds himself partnered with the Tiger as the two embark on a career of
crime...
Credits
 More French Comedy |
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© filmsdefrance.com 2009