Film Review
Famous for being the French film which was remade into the American 1987 chart topper
3 Men
and a Baby directed by Leonard Nimoy,
Trois hommes et un couffin is
also one of the most successful comedies to have been made in France. It
attracted an audience of 10.3 million on its first release in 1985 and provided
a massive boost to the career of the then comparatively low-profile auteur
filmmaker Coline Serreau, who followed this with a popular romantic drama
Romuald et Juliette (1989).
A astute satire on fatherhood that is both poignant and funny, the film has
pretty well the same plot as the American remake, but comes at it from
a different, slightly more acerbic, perspective.
When the film starts, the arrival of the baby is a cause for bitter acrimony, heated arguments
and intense discomfort for the three bachelors. Yet, despite this, the three men
soon become attached to the infant and even end up arguing with each other over who should
attend to her. It is this emotional intensity which gives this film far, far more
credibility and impact than the American version, which sacrifices authenticity for some
cheap gags.
Although the French film has some terrific comic situations, the humour does not undermine
the real-life drama which is the film's main focus. The film is about how three
hedonistic young men manage to cope with the obligations of fatherhood. Served by
three magnificent performances from its three lead actors, the film shows how the arrival
of a child can completely change their lives and their behaviour, calling into question
assumptions about the role of men in child raising.
With typically French subtlety, and with the minimum of sentimentality,
Trois hommes
et un couffin is simultaneously an engaging, funny and thought-provoking piece of
cinema. Almost two decades on, Serreau offered up a sequel,
18 ans après (2003),
although this has nothing like the impact of the original film and is one of
the director's few misfires.
© James Travers 2001
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Coline Serreau film:
Romuald et Juliette (1989)
Film Synopsis
Pierre, Jacques and Michel are three bachelors who contentedly live together
in a large apartment right at the heart of Paris. In the course of
a party one evening Jacques agrees to take delivery of a package that a friend
will deliver the following day. Not long after Jacques has jetted off
for a few weeks' holiday in the Far East, the package arrives - and Pierre
and Michel are surprised to find it is a baby, apparently Jacques's own daughter.
The girl's mother Sylvie was forced to send the baby on to its father because
it interfered with her work. With Jacques not due to return for three
weeks, Pierre and Michel are left holding the baby, and have a steep learning
curve ahead of them. Just when things couldn't get any worse, they
receive another unexpected package - a parcel containing a large consignment
of hard drugs...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.