Le Triporteur (1957) - film review

The town of Vauxbrelles is overjoyed when their football team qualifies for the cup final.  Football fanatic and bread deliveryman, Antoine Peyralout sets out on his tricycle for Nice, where the final is to be held in a few days’ time.  His journey is far from uneventful.  Leaving a trail of mayhem and devastation in his wake, he finally ends up on the football pitch, playing a pivotal role in the game he had only intended to watch…

Darry Cowl was a hugely talented and much-loved comic performer, with an incredible list of film credits that spanned six decades.  In Le Triporteur, he shows every facet of his comedy talents to great effect, making this his most memorable cinematic outing.  Through a series of neatly dovetailed comedy sketches, director Jack Pinoteau evokes something of the style of the great American silent comedy classics and also that of Jacques Tati’s films.  Whilst a few of the jokes now appear somewhat drawn out and well past their sell-buy date, others – particularly some of the complex visual gags – are wonderfully effective.  It may be a relic from another era, but Le Triporteur still has its appeal, and more than a few decent laughs.

© James Travers 2006

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