Le Pr?nom
Starring: Patrick Bruel, Charles Berling, Val?rie Benguigui
Directed by: Alexandre de La Patelli?re and Matthieu Delaporte
Running time: 109 minutes
Parental guidance: for all.
Opens Friday, Nov. 16 in French at: Beaubien, Boucherville, Colossus, Longueuil, Pont Viau, Quartier Latin, St-Eustache and StarCit? cinemas.
Le Pr?nom left me cold. There are some fine French actors in this alleged comedy, and some nifty wordplay ? hey, it?s a French film, after all ? but I had a mighty hard time grasping the point of the whole thing.
It?s clearly meant to be a laugher in a similar vein to the mega-hit Le d?ner de cons, but it?s not nearly as funny as that film and it?s built on the flimsiest of premises. It?s based on a play that was a big success in Paris, and the film also made out like a bandit at the box office in France this year. It has also been adapted for the stage here, a Juste pour rire production perhaps most notable for the tempest created by its poster, featuring a toddler with a Hitler moustache.
It?s tempting to suggest the reason the film falls so flat is that it was written and directed by the two authors of the play, Alexandre de La Patelli?re and Matthieu Delaporte. Why you would think the playwrights would be the best guys to direct the movie adaptation is something of a mystery.
Unsurprisingly, the film is pretty much a play on the big screen. There?s a neat but derivative intro that borrows its style hook, line and sinker from Le fabuleux destin d?Am?lie Poulain, and that is the only real cinematic moment here. Other than that, everything takes place in one living room. It?s so theatrical, you keep expecting the actors to walk offstage.
Here?s that flimsy premise I mentioned earlier: Vincent (Patrick Bruel) is at a dinner party at the apartment of his sister ?lisabeth (Val?rie Benguigui) and her husband, Pierre (Charles Berling), along with their old pal Claude (Guillaume de Tonqu?dec). Vincent?s pregnant girlfriend, Anna (Judith El Zein), who is apparently always late for everything, will show up later.
Vincent, who is a bit of a goofball, announces to the crew that they?ve decided to name their son Adolphe, which leads to a long, bitter argument. Basically, everyone?s furious with Vincent. Then there?s another argument about the names of ?lisabeth and Pierre?s two children, which some find silly. That leads to talk about their nickname for Claude ? a nickname he wasn?t ever aware of ? and that brings us to what?s supposed to be a shocking revelation that?s really not very shocking.
With the exception of Berling, the film features the same cast as the Paris stage version, which makes it all the more surprising that everyone overplays their parts so much. There?s a remarkable amount of shouting that goes on and nothing even remotely nuanced.
If it was all as hilarious as it?s meant to be, I might be more inclined to cut the actors some slack. But alas, Le Pr?nom is the opposite of a knee-slapper.
bkelly@montrealgazette.com
Twitter: @brendanshowbiz
euro 2012 Colorado Springs pga tour Nora Ephron mario balotelli mario balotelli jenny mccarthy
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.