Film Review
Following their hugely successful pairing in
La Moutarde me monte au nez
(1974), Pierre Richard and Jane Birkin and reunited for a second
helping of madcap comedy, adding a new meaning to the phrase
Entente Cordiale. The plot is
something of a convoluted mess but the jokes come so thick and fast
that you hardly notice. Claude Zidi's comedies are renowned for
their original visual gags, and this one includes some of the
director's best: Pierre Richard walking around with a leg stuck in a
toilet pedestal, Jane Birkin receiving a little present from an English
seagull, and both actors emerging from a first floor bath in the
incinerated skeleton of an old house. Not only is this one of
Pierre Richard's silliest films, it is also one of his most
entertaining, and his coupling with Jane Birkin (Britain's answer to
Brigitte Bardot?) makes it an irresistible treat that you can watch
again and again.
© James Travers 2008
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Claude Zidi film:
L'Aile ou la cuisse (1976)
Film Synopsis
With his boss away on holiday, Pierre Vidal finds himself elevated to
the highest position in the bank where he works. Anxious to
ensure that nothing goes wrong whilst he is in charge, Pierre rules
with an iron grip, even going so far as to stage a fake hold-up to test his
staff's reactions. Unfortunately, this doesn't prevent someone
stealing documents from a safe deposit box in the bank's vault.
Having just one weekend before the documents are due to be collected by
their owner, Pierre sets out to recover them. He discovers that
the thief belongs to a troupe of drag artistes, who are about to leave
Paris on a train bound for Brighton, England. Believing that
Pierre has left her to spend the weekend with another woman, his
girlfriend Janet is close on his heels. Before they know it,
Pierre and Janet are caught up in a series of life-and-death escapades
that culminate in a showdown on Brighton Pier...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
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Film Credits
- Director: Claude Zidi
- Script: Michel Fabre, Jean-Luc Voulfow, Claude Zidi
- Cinematographer: Henri Decaë
- Music: Vladimir Cosma
- Cast: Pierre Richard (Pierre Vidal),
Jane Birkin (Janet),
Michel Aumont (Commissaire Brunet),
Marc Doelnitz (Marc),
Amadeus August (Gunther),
Henri Déus (Mike),
Luis Rego (Franz),
Catherine Allégret (Nicole),
André Bézu (André),
Jean Martin (Le directeur de la banque),
Claude Dauphin (De Rovère),
Paul Cambo (Le P.D.G.),
Henri Attal (Le contrôleur),
François Cadet (Le premier brigadier),
Philippe Dehesdin (Philippe),
Arlette Emmery (Mlle Fenette),
Pierre Haudebourg (Christophe),
Gérard Majax (Le pickpocket),
Eberhard Mondry (Un officier de police),
Louis Navarre (Un représentant)
- Country: France / West Germany
- Language: French / English
- Support: Color (Eastmancolor)
- Runtime: 95 min