Film Review
This little gem of cinematic surrealism from Jean-Pierre Jeunet is of course now immediately
recognisable as a precursor for his subsequent films, such as
Delicatessen
and
Le
Fabuleux destin d'Amelié Poulain. Jeunet's distinctive visual style,
particularly his unique way of drawing us into the fantasy world of his film's main character,
is very much in evidence. The film's opening sequence, where the camera pans along
a shelf in a butcher's shop, instantly reminds us of
Delicatessen, the film which
Jeunet went on to make with Marc Caro. Another link with that film is its
main actor, Dominique Pinon, whose rubber face goes through the most extraordinary contortions
in the course of this film.
© James Travers 2002
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Jean-Pierre Jeunet film:
Delicatessen (1991)
Film Synopsis
Two years before he teamed up with Marc Caro to write and direct the film
that would make him world famous, namely
Delicatessen, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
roped the star of that film, Dominique Pinon, into enumerating a long list
of likes and dislikes in this whimsical short film. Foutaises
means 'nonsensical things' in French, and this is an apt summation for those
things that get right up Pinon's nose. Water drops that irritatingly
decide to splash upwards when you least want them to, or over-affectionate
dogs that wake you up just when you are enjoying a well-deserved lie in -
these are two of Pinon's pet hates. Plucking nasal hair is also high
on the actor's never-ending blacklist, an experience that arouses enough
emotional force to decimate whole tower blocks. Men who grow beards
without a moustache are as likely to be abolished as butcher shops, if Pinon
had his way. On the other side of the equation, there are plenty of
likes that most of us can easily identify with - running up escalators the
wrong way, mucking about in freshly fallen snow and rejoicing in the long-awaited
departure for the summer holidays. But of all the things that gladden
Pinon's soul few are as fondly cherished as the moment when, whilst watching
a film, love puts in an appearance...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
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Film Credits
- Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- Script: Bruno Delbonnel, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- Cinematographer: Jean Poisson
- Music: Carlos D'Alessio
- Cast: Dominique Pinon (The Man),
Jean Gabin ((archive footage)),
Maurice Lamy (Blind man),
Richard Widmark (Tommy Udo (archive footage)),
Chick Ortega,
Marie-Laure Dougnac,
Diane Bertrand,
Fabienne Chaudat,
Cindy,
Delphine Colin,
Céline Dubois,
Mathieu Duvanel,
Macalou,
Philippe Miot,
Philippe Paimblanc,
Daniel Poupry,
Jean-Pierre Rata,
Sébastien Seveau,
Gérald Weingand
- Country: France
- Language: French
- Support: Black and White
- Runtime: 9 min
- Aka: Things I Like, Things I Don't Like ;
Small Talk