Film Review
Camping is the latest in a
seemingly interminable line of films that attempt to make light of the
one thing the French take more seriously than just about anything
(except food): their summer holidays. Of course, this sub-genre,
if one can call it that, includes some well-loved classics, notably
Patrice Leconte's
Les Bronzés (1978) and
Philippe Harel's
Les Randonneurs (1997), but the
majority seem to come and go like a not very memorable summer
holiday, albeit without the aggravation and child vomit. Whilst it has its charms and an attractive
cast, Fabien Onteniente's humorous take on the familiar saga of sand, sea and stress
probably belongs to the latter
category. With too many characters, most of whom are thinly
developed caricatures, too few decent jokes and very little in the way
of originality,
Camping is a
pretty anodyne affair that engages but doesn't really leave much of a
lasting impression.
© James Travers 2008
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Fabien Onteniente film:
Disco (2008)
Film Synopsis
Every August for the last thirty years, Jacky and Laurette Pic have
spent their summer holiday near the same stretch of French coast,
pitching their caravan in exactly the same spot in the same camp site,
Les Flots Bleus. Imagine then
their incredulity when, one year, they arrive to find that, owing to a
computer malfunction, the pitch they have always taken has been
allocated to another couple, and a Dutch couple at that!
Meanwhile, at the other end of the social spectrum, plastic surgeon
Michel Saint-Josse is on his way to Spain where he hopes to spend a
stress-free holiday in a luxury hotel with his teenage daughter
Vanessa. When his car breaks down near
Les Flots Bleus, Michel accepts the
offer of help from one of the campers, an extrovert gigolo named
Patrick Chirac, the kind of man who regards every woman as his own
personal plaything. Whilst their car is being repaired, Michel
and Vanessa agree to stay in Patrick's well proportioned tent, not
knowing that, thanks to a series of mishaps, it will be their home for
several days...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.