Film Review
Jean-Paul Rappeneau may not be the most prolific of film directors, but his films, when
they arrive, at a rate of one or two a decade, are usually hailed with a wave of publicity.
This was true of
Tout feu, tout flame,
Rappeneau's second and final collaboration with high profile actor-singer Yves Montand;
the two men had previously worked together on
Le Sauvage (1975). Apparently, Montand
had the idea for this film after reading Shakespeare's
King
Lear...
Here, in one of his later film appearances, Montand is paired with Isabelle Adjani,
another highly regarded actor, but not one who was known for comedy roles. Adjani's
love interest in this film is played by another well-known actor-singer Alain Souchon
- the two would subsequently work together in Jean Becker's 1983 film
L'Été meurtrier.
It
has to be said that
Tout feu, tout flame is most
definitely not Rappeneau's finest hour. It's a film that has something of a crisis
of identity - beginning as a sentimental comedy-drama, ending as a trashy parody thriller
- and with a plot that appears to be the cinematic equivalent of a piece of self-assembled
furniture: tacky, wobbly and looking suspiciously as if there are a few bits missing.
The film is mildly entertaining, but overall it's something of a mess.
Montand
is a delight to watch, but the same cannot quite be said of his co-stars. Adjani's
approach to comedy is to simply overact like an amateur player - i.e. lots of silly
hand gestures, running about shrieking and wide-eyed staring at the camera. Souchon
shows more promise, but is underused - his character is so peripheral to the story that
you'd hardly notice if his scenes were all cut. The rest of the cast - with one
notable exception - also have a tendency to overact and go for laughs, with the result
that most of the good jokes in the film are spoiled. In fact, apart from Montand,
the only other actor who doesn't disappoint is Jean-Luc Bideau, who
does
know how to play comedy, and does it brilliantly.
© James Travers 2007
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Next Jean-Paul Rappeneau film:
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
Film Synopsis
It has been several years since Pauline last saw her father, Victor. Whilst he has
been hiding away in North America after a series of ill-judged and slightly illegal ventures,
she has had to take care of her two younger sisters and grandmother, whilst pursuing a
career as a government adviser. Imagine then her surprise when Victor makes a sudden
reappearance. Pauline's suspicions over the motives of her father's return prove
to be well-founded...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.