Though promoted as a 'Merchant Ivory Film', MERCI DOCTEUR REY is related to the team in production only. The film is written and directed by Andrew Litvack and is a well-made bit of fluff in the tried and true tradition of French Farce - mistaken identities, misconceptions that backfire then produce good things, and characters that are as off the wall as they come.
Elisabeth Beaumont (Dianne Wiest) is an aging American Opera Diva who moves to Paris to perform with an opera director of note Claude Sabrié (Bulle Ogier) for an edgy performance of 'Turandot': she also wants to be near her Parisian son Thomas (Stanislas Merhar) who just happens to be struggling with his gender identity and spends his time in the sex personals and phone ads. Thomas decides to see a psychiatrist Doctor Rey, but upon arriving at her office he mistakes one Penelope (Jane Birkin) to be the psychiatrist, not knowing that not only is Penelope wildly nutty (she thinks she is Vanessa Redgrave, having a job as the actress who provides the French dubbing for Redgrave's movies), she thinks she is responsible for Doctor Rey's dropping dead. Thomas and the newly discovered real Penelope bond and begin a 'crazy romance'.
While Elisabeth primps and prepares her Turandot she is told that Thomas is seeing a girlfriend (Linda), which in ways surprises her, as she believes Thomas to be gay. Thomas becomes involved in a response to a phone ad, goes to a 'john's' (Simon Callow) apartment where he observes voyeuristic murder involving a young man (Karim Salah). The law becomes involved and through innumerable twists and turns the 'observed' murder is manipulated in a winning way. Elisabeth debuts as an outrageous Turandot, Penelope meets Vanessa Redgrave (playing herself), Thomas discovers secrets about the identity of his father in a strange manner...etc. The result is a crazy bit of lunacy that works extremely well.
This farce can be a bumpy road if you allow your attention to stray, but plug into the manner in which it is played and the result is a showcase for some fine actors having a swell time. Yes, it is froth, but what a fine froth it is! An exhilarating comedy outing. Grady Harp
Elisabeth Beaumont (Dianne Wiest) is an aging American Opera Diva who moves to Paris to perform with an opera director of note Claude Sabrié (Bulle Ogier) for an edgy performance of 'Turandot': she also wants to be near her Parisian son Thomas (Stanislas Merhar) who just happens to be struggling with his gender identity and spends his time in the sex personals and phone ads. Thomas decides to see a psychiatrist Doctor Rey, but upon arriving at her office he mistakes one Penelope (Jane Birkin) to be the psychiatrist, not knowing that not only is Penelope wildly nutty (she thinks she is Vanessa Redgrave, having a job as the actress who provides the French dubbing for Redgrave's movies), she thinks she is responsible for Doctor Rey's dropping dead. Thomas and the newly discovered real Penelope bond and begin a 'crazy romance'.
While Elisabeth primps and prepares her Turandot she is told that Thomas is seeing a girlfriend (Linda), which in ways surprises her, as she believes Thomas to be gay. Thomas becomes involved in a response to a phone ad, goes to a 'john's' (Simon Callow) apartment where he observes voyeuristic murder involving a young man (Karim Salah). The law becomes involved and through innumerable twists and turns the 'observed' murder is manipulated in a winning way. Elisabeth debuts as an outrageous Turandot, Penelope meets Vanessa Redgrave (playing herself), Thomas discovers secrets about the identity of his father in a strange manner...etc. The result is a crazy bit of lunacy that works extremely well.
This farce can be a bumpy road if you allow your attention to stray, but plug into the manner in which it is played and the result is a showcase for some fine actors having a swell time. Yes, it is froth, but what a fine froth it is! An exhilarating comedy outing. Grady Harp