Rendez-moi ma peau... (1980) Directed by Patrick Schulmann
Comedy / Fantasy
Film Review
With its frothy mix of burlesque comedy, occult fantasy and keen satire, Rendez-moi
ma peau ought to be a first rate comic film. Unfortunately, the film veers to
extreme silliness on far too many occasions and its lack of sophistication and self-restraint
is often more tiring than entertaining. That said, there is some great comedy in
this film, the best scenes being those where the body-exchanged victims try to continue
their lives as if nothing has happened. The obvious jokes about sexual inequality
in the home and the workplace are made, although, alas, this kind of intelligent satire
takes up a comparatively small part of the film. Most of the film is concerned with
increasingly bizarre methods of fortune-telling and wizardry.
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Film Synopsis
Zora is a witch who cannot bear the prospect that she is gradually losing
her magical powers. Only one person can help her - the Grand Master
- and she needs to get to him as quickly as she can. As she sets off
in a mad hurry Zora soon gets involved in a road accident, which she blames
on two mortals - a television repair man named Jean-Pierre and a housewife,
Marie. Zora is not in a forgiving mood. Without a moment's reflection
she punishes her two victims by giving them each other's body. Jean-Pierre
now inhabits the body of a woman, Marie that of a man.
It is not an arrangement that suits either of the two young people, so as
Zora hurries off for her vital interview with the Grand Master, they make
a pact to work together to find the bad-tempered witch and force her to reverse
the body swap. Realising that they need professional help in this,
they engage the services of a private detective, Hector Shoms. As Jean-Pierre
and Marie struggle to adapt to their new lifestyles, Shoms and his faithful
assistant Datson set out to find Zora, blissfully unaware of the hazards
that lie ahead. Meddling with witchcraft is a dangerous business...
Cast: Erik Colin (Jean-Pierre),
Bee Michelin (Marie),
Chantal Neuwirth (Zora, la sorcière),
Jean-Luc Bideau (Krishmoon),
Danièle Gueble (Lucy),
Alain Flick (Hector Shoms),
Mario D'Alba (Datsun),
Myriam Mézières (Michinka),
Michel Peyrelon (Okadjin),
Jean Rougerie (Karl Malnek),
Jean-François Devaux (Marc),
Robert Party (L'astrologue),
André Valardy (L'illusionniste Janax),
Max Vialle (Gélos),
Bernard Born (Stradamos, l'alchimiste),
Annie Bertin (Kalyope),
Yves Carlevaris (Luc),
Jacques Dalès (Le 'génie' de la fiole),
Jean Roquel (Le prêtre),
Joseph Momo (L'Africain)
Country: France
Language: French
Support: Color
Runtime: 85 min
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