Film Review
Having made over a hundred film appearances in nearly twenty years, the
comic actor Louis de Funès
finally achieved top billing in
Pouic-Pouic, the film that turned him into an overnight
comic sensation. Throughout the following two decades he would become the most popular
comedian in France, a charismatic cult figure whose popularity would endure long after
his death in 1983.
Pouic-Pouic is a typical burlesque comedy, (rather obviously) adapted from a stage
play. De Funès plays an irascible bourgeois middle-aged man who is infinitely
more interested in money and status than personal relationships - one of the characters
he would perfect over the rest of his career in numerous films. Far from being a
simple caricature, de Funès' portrayal of such odious characters is intensely complex
and well developed, showing the actor's remarkable talent for observation and imitation,
to say nothing of his obsessive perfectionism. De Funès
was as much a first rate character actor as he was a natural born comedian, and this is what brings
the essential quality of truth to his performances.
Pouic-Pouic mark the first episode in a long and fruitful collaboration between
de Funès and director Jean Girault. The two men would work together on a further
11 films, including the hugely popular
Gendarme series. Working magnificently
alongside de Funès in this film is the redoubtable Jacqueline Maillan, another
highly regarded comic performer with a larger-than-life personality, playing the first
(and arguably the best) of de Funès' on-screen wives. The film also features
the stunningly beautiful Mireille Darc in one of her first major film roles.
Whilst the film suffers a little from some uninspired direction and a few predictable
plot developments, the quality of the comic performances make it an entertaining piece
of farce, in the best tradition of French burlesque comedy. The jokes - both
visual and spoken - fall thick and fast and it is often a challenge to keep up with all
of the film's twists and turns. Whilst the plot is torturously complex, it is all
good fun, and it is little wonder that the film proved to be a popular success on its
release in 1963.
© James Travers 2007
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Next Jean Girault film:
Faites sauter la banque! (1964)
Film Synopsis
Léonard Monestier is a canny businessman who owes his success to his
unerring ability to spot a sound investment. His wife Cynthia, alas,
has no such talent and seems determined to bankrupt them both by splashing
out on dodgy shares. Why couldn't Cynthia stick to her other, less
financially damaging, interests in life, such as tending to her pet bird
Pouic-Pouic? Convinced that his wife's investment in a South American
oil concession is sheer folly, Monestier decides he has to offload it onto
someone else - but who? He has the perfect victim in Antoine Brévin,
a man who is both gullible and rich - and he has hopes of marrying Monestier's
daughter, Patricia.
Unfortunately, Patricia has a mind of her own and no part of it is inclined
to even consider marrying Antoine. So determined is she to drive away
her unwanted 40-something suitor that she resorts to hiring a delivery man,
Simon Guilbaud, to pass himself off as her husband. Monestier is naturally
unaware of this development and invites the unwitting Antoine to his house
so that he can sell him the troublesome shares. Fearing that the millionaire
will see through his scheme, Monestier coerces Simon into posing as his son
Paul, who is away in South America at the moment. Things are looking
good for the unscrupulous businessman - until his son shows up unexpectedly,
in the company of a gorgeous South American girl named Palma. If Monestier
is to succeed, he must resort to increasingly desperate measures to rid himself
of his wife's dodgy investment...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.