Film Review
Haute cuisine takes on the might of prêt-à-manger in this
spirited satirical farce which serves up a mouth-watering
double portion of comic genius in the shape of Louis de Funès and
Coluche. One of the better films that De Funès made for
director Claude Zidi,
L'Aile ou la
cuisse offers not only some sublime comedy but also a
deliciously acerbic satire on several aspects of culinary life in
France. Of course, what sells the film is the unforgettable union
of two immensely talented comedic performers, each of whom achieved an
unrivalled popularity in the course of his career.
Coluche and Louis de Funès could hardly be more different, both
in their personalities and in their style of comedy. Yet, over
the next decade, the former would inherit the latter's mantle as the
most high-profile and popular comedian in France. Coluche won
widespread affection and support when he chose to run against
François Mitterand in the 1981 French presidential election,
although his lasting legacy is the charity Restos du coeur, which he
founded in 1985. Coluche's success would doubtless have continued
were it not for his tragic death in a road accident in 1986.
Interestingly, the role played by Coluche in
L'Aile ou la cuisse was originally
intended for another popular comic actor, Pierre Richard, but he turned
the part down. Although Coluche and De Funès are
poles apart in their approach to comedy, they work together amazingly
well - there is no sense of the tense rivalry which is noticeable in
some of the other memorable De Funès star pairings.
Julien Guiomar plays the principal baddy, Tricatel, with an obvious
relish, and the film also features a welcome appearance by Philippe
Bouvard, now best known as the host of RTL's long-running radio show
Les Grosses têtes.
At De Funès's insistence, Claude Gensac appears briefly in the
film as Duchemin's secretary, but she is so heavily made-up that she is
barely recognisable. Director Claude Zidi was reluctant to cast
Gensac because of her association with De Funès in the
Gendarme films, in which she
played the actor's long-suffering wife.
Shortly before making this film, Louis de Funès suffered a heart
attack, and the effect of this is a noticeable change in his style of
comedy, which is much gentler, more subtle than previously.
He is still just as effective at making an audience laugh, particularly
when his character slips into various disguises (such as a sweet old
lady or a camp American tourist). Coluche provides the
physical comedy which De Funès was presumably no longer up to,
although he does also get his fair share of witty
one-liners. The combined efforts of these two great comic
performers, together with a gag-filled script and a very capable
supporting cast, are what make
L'Aile
ou la cuisse one of French cinema's most enjoyable comedies.
© James Travers 2008
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Claude Zidi film:
L'Animal (1977)
Film Synopsis
At 60, Charles Duchemin is the most revered of France's culinary experts.
Not only is he a food critic of some considerable renown, he is also the
author of the country's most popular restaurant guide. Adopting various
elaborate disguises so that he will not be recognised, Duchemin makes a habit
of dropping in on the nation's eateries so that he can assess the quality
of the cuisine and award the appropriate mark in his guide. Now that
he has been awarded France's highest honour - admission to the Académie
Française - Duchemin plans to retire and hand over his business to
his son Gérard.
Little does the critic know that his son has no intention of picking up
the culinary baton. Instead, Gérard has his heart set on a career
as a comedian and has kept from his father the fact that, in his spare time,
he performs as a clown with a circus company. One man who will not be
sorry to see Duchemin go is his mortal enemy Jacques Tricatel, the owner of
a chain of supermarkets that sells the kind of food which the critic regards
as inedible. No friend of haute cuisine, Tricatel is planning to open
a number of fast-food restaurants that risk putting most of the respectable
eating establishments out of business.
When Duchemin gets wind of this terrible prospect, he agrees to appear with
his archenemy on a live television chat show, determined to expose him as
culinary enemy number one. But Tricatel is a merciless opponent and,
having discovered Gérard Duchemin's secret occupation, he intends using
this knowledge to humiliate the critic. Fate would seem to be on his
side, as Duchemin suddenly loses his sense of taste at the moment when he
most needs it. The only person who can help the critic now is his son
- but is his palate up to the job...?
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.