Nous autres à Champignol (1957)
Directed by Jean Bastia

Film Review

Nous autres à Champignol is the first in a series of modest working class comedies directed by Jean Bastia, including two set in the mythical backwater village of Champignol.  To his credit, Bastia was one of the first directors to exploit the comedic talents of Louis de Funès, and his films, whilst not classics, are both mildly entertaining and an honest portrait of the working class milieu at the time.  Jean Richard, one of Bastia's favourite comic actors, enlivens his first feature and prevents it from being as dull as the locale in which it is set.  Any film which starts by telling the audience it is set in the dullest place in France and then spends five minutes explaining why this is so is treading on very thin ice, but thanks to Richard's exuberant performance (ably supported by such familiar faces as Mario David and Noël Roquevert) Champignol turns out to be a slightly livelier place than we might have feared.

Film Synopsis

Champignol is a small rural community somewhere in France, a place where nothing ever happens or is ever likely to happen.  The village hopes to improve its chance of winning a football match against a rival village, Fouzy, by obtaining the goalkeeper, Claudius, from the latter's team in exchange for a cow.  Claudius is a no hoper until he meets the lovely Solange.  As if by magic, he wins the match and the girl...