Film Review
Emmanuel Mouret is rapidly becoming France's answer to Woody Allen if
his series of deliriously funny sex comedies is anything to go
by. At a time when most film comedy tends to the twin
extremes of vulgarity and absurdity, Mouret's latest gag-a-thon
offering
Fais-moi plaisir!
provides a refreshing alternative. Here is a film that,
improbable as it may seem, combines the exquisite romantic poetry of
Rohmer with the effortless slapstick of Tati, with Mouret playing a
character which feels like some weird hybrid of Don Juan, Antoine
Doinel, Mr Bean and Inspector Clousseau - i.e. a hopeless romantic
masquerading as a one-man disaster area.
The defining characteristic of Mouret's idea of comedy is
understatement. The film
starts with a simple premise, that of frustrated desire, and
extrapolates it as far as possible, with each comic situation building
on the one that preceded it. Here we have the 'old woman who
swallowed a fly scenario'. Everything that the Mr Bean-like hero
does not only puts him in an embarrassing situation but leads to
another disaster further down the line. It's a bit like the
inept hurdler who, having tripped over one hurdle, is destined to
demolish every other one on the race track.
Let us take one example. At a party, Mouret's newly acquired
girlfriend points out to him that his flies are underdone.
To avoid drawing attention to himself, Mouret sneaks away to a quiet
corner, but only succeeds in getting the curtains caught in his
zip. He then spends the next ten minutes trying to extricate
himself from the curtains without anyone noticing. The party
over, Mouret finally manages to free himself, with the help of a
conveniently placed broadsword, but now has an embarrassingly shaped
piece of white material protruding from his zip, which he still cannot
unfasten. Mouret's subsequent attempts to amputate his improvised
codpiece provide the impetus for the next half a dozen scenes, which
nudge ever closer to surrealist fantasy.
What makes this so amusing is that Mouret's character is not the
grotesque of the kind we associate with this kind of humour, but rather
a likeable innocent (a Byronesque Fernandel), who just happens to
attract bad luck as effectively as a buddleia attracts
butterflies. But Mouret does not only attract bad
luck. He also has a knack of drawing towards him pretty women who
could all pass for princesses in a child's fairytale -
Frédérique Bel, Déborah François and Judith
Godrèche to name just three. Mouret's misfortune is that
he appears destined never to reap the harvest that fate throws at his
feet. Even when he finds himself trapped in a bedroom with a
veritable harem of nubile beauties, Mouret has no opportunity of
relieving his pent up desire. Can there be a more apt metaphor
for the caprices of the male libido than a stuck trouser zip?
Fais-moi plaisir! is a real
treat for any connoisseur of French comedy, but it will appeal equally
to anyone who enjoys slapstick and the kind of humour that relies more
on wit than cheap vulgarity. Emmanuel Mouret's films are a
pleasing echo of the classic comedies of the French New Wave, elegantly
crafted and intelligently scripted, effortlessly funny, but with a
soupçon of poignant irony. Long may Mouret continue to
amuse and delight us with his enchanting brand of romantic comedy.
© James Travers 2010
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Film Synopsis
Convinced that her partner, Jean-Jacques, is showing an interest in
another woman, Ariane coerces him into having an affair with her,
believing that this is the best way to save their
relationship. Jean-Jacques agrees to start seeing the woman
in question, whom he hardly knows, not realising that she is in fact
the daughter of the President...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.