Film Review
"We're off to see the wizard..." Part road movie, part eccentric homage to a certain
Hollywood musical classic of 1939,
Emmenez-moi is
one of those strange low budget productions which somehow manage to charm and entertain
an audience in spite of its daringly experimental approach.
It's certainly an unusual film stylistically - most of it is shot in (ugly) low resolution digital video in the
manner of an amateur recording, something that would put off most spectators. The
approach works, partly because it serves the script so well, allowing many of the jokes
to be a lot funnier than they might otherwise have been, but also because we do get the
occasional “break”. These arrive when the central character launches into a spontaneous
(and sometimes highly inappropriate) rendition of a Charles Aznavour song, instantly transporting
us into a colour saturated happy fantasy world, making a stark contrast with the drab
colourless view of the real world. (
The Wizard of Oz
parallels are obvious, but there are some more subtle references for those who enjoy
hunting for such things.)
Emmenez-moi is the first feature from director
Edmond Bensimon, who previously scripted
Michel Boujenah's comedy
Père et fils (2003)
and was head writer on the television series
Cirque du Soleil (2003-4).
The film stars Gérard Darmon, a very talented and popular actor who is - as
ever - quite amazing. It's hard to imagine anyone else playing the lead role in
this film: he conveys not just the fired-up manic obsession of a fan who would embark
on a mad odyssey and give up everything just to meet his idol, but also the brutal realism
of his character's life and social situation. Jean-Claude's love of Aznavour
has as much to do with his need to escape from a failed, uneventful life, as it is with
the singer's obvious attractions.
Unfortunately for the film, it's a bit too obvious
that Darmon is carrying the film almost entirely by himself. His lacklustre
co-stars are all too easily eclipsed by his charisma, and Damien Jouillerot is actually
rather annoying as Benoît (the part should have gone to a younger, more sympathetic
actor). As a result, the film does feel unbalanced and lacking in substance, with
the narrative struggling to keep going around its midpoint. (An eventful run in
with small-minded gendarmes is a poor substitute for an encounter with the Munchkins.)
What brings things round and rewards you for sticking with the film to the end
is its superb denouement, which, whilst shamelessly over-optimistic, leaves you with a
good feeling, a sense that sometimes dreams can come true and that life isn't always just
an endless conveyor belt of disappointments. Despite its obvious deficiencies,
Emmenez-moi
is a likable and original film that is both poignant and funny - a very promising
debut for its director, Edmond Bensimon.
© James Travers 2007
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
When his nephew, Benoît, manages to get hold of a video-camera, fifty-something
Jean-Claude feels obliged to record a personal message for his lifelong hero, Charles
Aznavour. Somehow this gesture proves to be insufficient and Jean-Claude decides
he must deliver the message personally to the legendary singer, even if it means trekking
from his hometown in Northern France to Paris. On the way, he meets an unemployed
man, Arsène, who dreams of finding the courage to return to his family in Antilles,
and Boris, a dimmer than average refuse collector who thinks only of his lost sweetheart.
Arsène and Boris decide to tag along with Jean-Claude, convinced that the great
Charles Aznavour will resolve all their personal problems. There is also the faithful
Benoît, who films the eventful pilgrimage to Paris with his camera, even if he doesn't
quite share his uncle's optimism about the outcome...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.