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Credits
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Summary
Lambert, a withdrawn middle-aged man, works the night shift at a Parisian petrol station.
He has no friends, no family; his only companion is his bottle of rum. One
night, a young Arab man, Bensoussan, enters his shop - and his life. This
stranger also has no family, lives alone in a dingy room, and scrapes a living as a drugs
dealer. A friendship develops between the two solitary men - but this is brutally
cut short when Bensoussan is killed in front of Lambert’s eyes. Realising that his
new friend was murdered by his drug dealing associates, Lambert sets out to avenge his
death - assisted by Lola, a punk girl who met Bensoussan briefly. In so doing, he
manages to face up to his own tragic past...
Review
A popular and cult classic of French cinema - and also a fair contender for the finest
example of French film noir of the 1980s - Tchao pantin is best remembered for
the contribution from its lead actor, Michel Colucci, alias Coluche. Prior to this
film, the hugely popular comic performer had appeared in a dozen or so films, invariably
in comic roles, most notably in Bertrand Blier’s La
Femme de mon pote (1983). Although his films were popular, Coluche was never
considered a serious actor, and it was virtually impossible to picture him in a straight
drama. All that was to change with Tchao pantin, a sombre, intensely
melancholic piece of French post noir cinema. In this film, Coluche not only
demonstrated that we was capable of taking on a serious acting role, but that he also
had a extraordinary hidden talent as a straight actor, something which few had expected.
Coluche was rewarded with the César for the Best Actor in 1984 for his participation
in this film, which, as a result of his untimely death in 1986, was to be his most significant
film appearance.
Whilst Coluche’s unexpectedly sober performance is by far the most notable aspect of Tchao pantin, the film is also impressive in a number of other areas. Claude Berri’s direction is skilfully restrained as he allows his actors to deliver some intensely introspective performances, something which gives the film its raw edge of nihilist brutality and sense of unjust cruelty. Bruno Nuytten’s moody cinematography contributes a great deal to the mood and character of the piece, the neon-lit night scenes providing an appropriately noirish setting for the bulk of the film’s runtime. The script, based on an exemplary Série Noire novel by Alain Page, is economical but effective, making a number of connections with classic film noir of earlier decades - particularly the idea of a lone anti-hero tying to apply his own notion of justice against an abstract but deadly enemy. What is particularly appealing is that the motivation for Lambert’s actions is explained clearly and convincingly, even if we do have to wait right until the end of the film to find this out. However, the most striking thing about Tchao pantin is the quality of acting. In addition to the aforementioned Coluche, there are impressive performances from the three supporting actors Richard Anconina (Bensoussan), Agnès Soral (Lola) and Philippe Léotard (Bauer). Each of these actors is perfectly cast and each provides a convincing portrayal of an individual who ends up as a vulnerable outsider, rubbing shoulders with the lowlife and scum of a mercurial Parisian underworld. Although he only appears in the first half of the film, Richard Anconina distinguishes himself in this, his fist substantial film role. The Anconia-Coluche pairing works perfectly, lending the film both its humanity and its dramatic impetus. With the Best Actor César taken by Coluche, Anconina was more than content to have won the Césars for the Best Supporting Actor and Most Promising Young Actor (a very rare achievement for an actor to win the two awards for the same role). The film won a further two other Césars: for Best Sound for Best Cinematography. Tchao pantin is a film that will appeal as much to film noir enthusiasts as to fans of Coluche. A bleak, depressing film, it offers a sobering portrait of a society which has lost its way, but where - encouragingly - lone heroes are still capable of making a difference, albeit at a price. © James Travers 2004 Write a review for this film... |
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