writers_reign
Although it has elements of the dubious morality that obtained in the seventies overall this is a gentle charmer from the screenplay by Jean- Loup Dabadie through the direction of Yves Robert through the ensemble acting led admirably by Jean Rochefort. I haven't seen the Hollywood remake so I am unable to compare and contrast, I have, however, seen sufficient Hollywood remakes of French comedies - including one actually written by the great Francis Veber, i.e. adapting his own French screenplay for Hollywood - to know they seldom, if ever, live up to the original let alone eclipse it. The plot has elements of The Seven Year Itch and Dabadie acknowledges this by having the fantasy object stand over an air vent which blows her dress up; the difference is that in The Seven Year Itch there was only one male lead (Tom Ewell) and the object of his fantasy (Marilyn Monroe) whereas here Jean Rochefort has three male buddies all experiencing female trouble. Overall a pleasant, entertaining soufflé.
Buck Aroo
This has to be my favourite French film ever! I recall seeing it's very well dubbed English version on TV in the early '80s. It was remade into The Woman in Red, which was pretty banal in comparison. But thanks to TV5 Monde, I was able to see the original version en Francais.The film centres around Jean Rochefort, his friends and family. At the start, we see him standing precariously on the ledge of a high building. The reason why is shown at the film's end. (I won't give it away here) This is followed by a flashback. He is a middle-aged some-what bored businessman, who has his head turned one day when he sees a mysterious woman standing under an air vent in a car park. She happens to be wearing a flimsy red dress (hence the US title of the remake) which flutters in the breeze. She seems to enjoy this, and returns to the vent for a second helping. After she walks away, Rochefort tries it out for himself, but the effect for him in his buttoned overcoat is not as sexy to the viewer. Or even him. This is the catalyst for his obsession with the girl, played by Anny Duperey, who eventually turns up at his place of work, much to his surprise.Meanwhile, his loving and quite attractive wife, is being sexually harassed by a chubby friend of their teenage daughter, this is not to mention the personal problems that Rochefort's tennis buddies also encounter.This is well worth a look, even for the dubbed version. There was also a sequel made sometime after, but the magic was not there.
michelerealini
This Yves Robert's film gave Gene Wilder the idea for a US remake ("The Woman in red"). But the latter doesn't have neither the freshness nor the simplicity of the French version.As a European, I feel myself better at ease with the Robert's movie because it is nearer to my culture -and the fact that actors and action are set in Paris make easier for me to understand the way characters think...It's doubtless a French comedy, with a perfect actor for this kind of work -Jean Rochefort, who portrays a typical French "bourgeois", awkward, shy and proud of his social position at the same time. A frustrated male of Latin culture...!Etienne (Rochefort) falls in love with a sexy woman he meets in his bureau. This woman is then chosen for an advertisement... He will do everything for conquering her, unless telling it his wife. The film is a joke about men erotically fantasies.The film is witty, charming and well written. Whereas Italian comedies play mostly with satire, strange comical faces and misunderstandings, French comedies are less caricature, they present "clownesques" situations in (appearently) more serious environments. Two excellent comical approaches! They're so different from American comical movies -in American comedies there's more mess, you laugh because situations are so incredible and full of contradictions.This film is worth to see, Jean Rochefort is funny even if he seems serious. When I saw the Gene Wilder movie I didn't enjoy so much -Wilder is an excellent actor, but his "Woman in red" had something quite artificial.. It was not as spontaneous like the original one. Wilder is better with his extravaganzas, with slapstick elements...
David Vanholsbeeck
Etienne(Jean Rochefort)is a happily married man and a good father. His friends all have secret affairs and/or cheat on their wives. One morning, Etienne sees a woman in red passing by his car. He falls in love with her and tries everything to get to know her better. Of course, this must be kept a secret to his wife.Whereas the story may not be very original, this film is extremely charming and amiable nonetheless. It has a great supporting cast(Brasseur is a stand-out), very funny moments and many real-life characters. Too bad this charming little film was later remade as THE WOMAN IN RED(with Gene Wilder and Kelly LeBrock). But Hollywood seems to have this "urge" to make their own version of each film with a bit of success outside the States. Anyway, if you have to choose between the original and the remake, choose UN ÉLEPHANT...(or PARDON MON AFFAIRE as it is sometimes called). 7/10
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