La Gueule de l'autre (1979)
Directed by Pierre Tchernia

Film Review

You get two Michel Serraults for the price of one in this frothy mix of satirical comedy and burlesque farce written by the popular actor-writer Jean Poiret (whose best known work is the original stage version of La Cage aux folles). Serrault started out as a comedy performer, for a time forming a very successful double act with Poiret, so he is in his element in this lively comedy which makes good use of both his comedic skills and his talent as a character actor. La Gueule de l'autre gives him the opportunity to play two very different characters in the same film, one a cowardly politician, the other a timid comedian made famous by a deodorant ad.  Serrault is joined by a number of other talented and well-known actors, including Curd Jürgens, Bernadette Lafont, Michel Blanc and Jean Poiret himself.

The comedy is typically French - relying mainly on clever wordplay, which may be too subtle for non-French speaking audiences to get - although there is also a fair amount of vaudevillian tomfoolery to help liven things up a bit.  Some parts of the film are outrageously funny, such as the scene where Gilbert has to mime to a tape recording of one of his cousin's speeches - the pitfalls of relying on technology become all too apparent. Although the film's director Pierre Tchernia devoted more of his time to television he did turn out one or two other notable films for the cinema, other entertaining examples being Le Viager (1972) and Les Gaspards (1974).

Film Synopsis

An election campaign is well under way in Paris when one of the candidates, Martial Perrin, the leader of a right-wing political party, is thrown into a sudden panic.  He has just heard the news that convicted criminal Richard Krauss has recently escaped from prison.  Ten years ago, in the mid-1960s, Perrin was one of the men involved in bringing Krauss to justice after his involvement in a thwarted coup d'état in the then French-controlled African state of Djibouti.  Now it seems that Krauss is determined to have his revenge by executing each and every one of the individuals who contributed to his arrest and imprisonment - including Perrin.

Realising that Krauss means business, Perrin becomes fearful for his life and starts behaving in a way that could well jeopardise his election chances.  No longer the resolute man of iron, Perrin is now starting to resemble a jellyfish, cowardly flinching at the least suspicion of personal danger.  His loyal adviser Jean-Louis Constant comes to his rescue, by suggesting that he should recruit his cousin Gilbert Brossard, a failed actor, to take his place for the duration of the campaign, at least until the police catch up with Krauss.  Aware that Gilbert is so physically similar to him that he could readily pass for his twin brother, Martian agrees.

Gilbert has no qualms about accepting this proposal when it is put to him, so grateful is he for the opportunity to prove himself as an actor.  If he can convince the voting public and those in his cousin's immediate entourage - including his wife - that he is Martial Perrin, Gilbert will have demonstrated to the world that he is worthy of his profession and offers of work will surely come flooding in afterwards.  Unfortunately, if the homicidal Krauss is taken in by this deception, his career may be about to end much sooner than he imagines...