Film Review
Of the half a dozen or so films that Bourvil made with director
André Berthomieu at the start of his illustrious screen career,
Le Coeur sur la main is the one
that has best stood the test of time. By this stage, Bourvil was
beginning to find his feet as an actor and was proving to be far more
than just a pleasing personality with musical ability. Once again
(alas), he is cast in the role of the sympathetic country bumpkin, a
persona he had created for himself as a cabaret artist, but this time
his character appears to have more depth than in previous films.
Naturally, Bourvil is at his best in the film's musical numbers, the
highlights being a lively swing dance duet entitled
Chanson anglaise and a nostalgic
accordion number,
Sous la lune.
Whilst it is let down by a hackneyed plot that seems to have been
lifted from another film and shows little in the way of inspiration on
the directing front,
Le Coeur sur la
main manages to be an entertaining little timewaster that
perfectly reflects the congenial character of its avuncular star.
For those who only know Bourvil as a comic actor, the film is something
of an eye opener - he can also dance, sing and play the accordion, all
with considerable style.
© James Travers 2014
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Film Synopsis
Léon Ménard is a church warden in a small Normandy
village who is renowned locally as an accordionist. One evening,
a famous singer, Mary Pinson, turns up in the region and before he
knows it Léon is coerced into backing her at a concert.
Mary shows her gratitude by kissing Léon, but when this gets
back to his prim parishioners he is disgraced. Having lost his
job, Léon decides to make a fresh start in Paris, and, with
Mary's help, he opens a night club. Léon mistakes Mary's
kindness for genuine affection and he falls in love with her, not
knowing that he is being exploited for his talent...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.