Marche à l’ombre (1984) - film review

After a period in the Mediterranean, society dropouts François and Denis return to France with next to no money, no home, no work.  Their one lifeline is a friend of François, who may offer them a job.  When this last hope evaporates, François and Denis turn to busking and then selling stolen goods to make ends meet.  François falls in love with a young dancer, Mathilde, whilst Denis starts an affair with a black immigrant.  Their adventures have only just begun…

Popular actor Michel Blanc made his directorial début with this ebullient urban comedy, in which he stars alongside sex symbol Gérard Lanvin.  Whilst the plot is a bit of a mess, Blanc manages to hold the whole thing together well for a novice director, and there are plenty of visual gags to keep us entertained.  The film’s strength lies in the amazing Blanc-Lanvin double act, the two contrasting actors playing off each other to great effect: Blanc the inept yet surprisingly successful Don Juan, Lanvin the seemingly conventional screen lover who fails to get lucky (despite oozing sex appeal by the bucket load).  By contrast, the supporting cast is quite weak, and are unable to make much of their under-written character parts.  Although the film was a commercial success, it would be a decade before Michel Blanc would direct his next film.

© James Travers 2005

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