I have read a recent interview with Belmondo, saying that the veteran Jean Gabin hate all that new wave french cinema when he was asked to do this movie with young Belmondo, who was, at that time, an actor who was working with the New Wave directors (Godard, Chabrol, Truffaut). But a solid friendship was born when the two men work together on that movie. In fact, the respect and this friendship seems to be very easy to see when we look at this charming movie. It's full of a sense of poetry. It's a movie about friendship, dreams, nostalgia, sadness between two men from different generations. It's also a movie about alcool, in a sense that the beatniks of that era refers to. It's also very well written. Gabin and Belmondo gives a very warm performance. You must see this wonderful movie.
15 Reviews
Gabin falls off the wagon
bob9982 July 2009
Albert Quentin (Gabin) is running a small hotel in a coastal town in Normandy. He and his wife (Suzanne Flon)have settled down to a dull, peaceful existence heading into old age, when Fouquet (Belmondo), a young man gifted in flamenco dancing and getting very drunk, erupts into their lives. Soon all is turned upside-down, the teetotalling Quentin starts drinking again, and the town is treated to the most spectacular impromptu fireworks display that I can recall seeing in a movie. And that's not all... The acting is good all round: Gabin and Belmondo play off each other very well, Suzanne Flon strikes the right wistful and optimistic notes, and Noel Roquevert is very funny as the owner of a boutique where you can buy just about anything, including fireworks. Gabrielle Dorziat (of Les Parents terribles) has a nice cameo as the director of a girl's school who insists on speaking English.
Henri Verneuil was a very popular director from the 50's to the 70's; without being a real auteur he had a talent for pleasing the audience. Un singe en hiver follows Mélodie en sous-sol with its fine Gabin-Delon pairing, and gave me a lot of pleasure.
Henri Verneuil was a very popular director from the 50's to the 70's; without being a real auteur he had a talent for pleasing the audience. Un singe en hiver follows Mélodie en sous-sol with its fine Gabin-Delon pairing, and gave me a lot of pleasure.
Matador
jotix1006 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
A small coastal town in Normandy is the setting for this story. We are taken to the last days of WWII as Allied air forces begin bombing the town. Albert Quentin, a local hotel owner has been drinking heavily with a buddy at the brothel. It becomes clear they must abandon the building if they want to save their lives. Quentin makes a promise if he will be spared of a death: he will stop drinking.
Years go by and Quentin and his wife, Suzanne, are living and managing their hotel, Stella, located in the center of town. The city showed no signs of what the bombing it suffered. Gabriel Fouquet arrives one night and asks to be taken to a hotel. Most of the places are closed because of the winter season. The driver recommends him to go to the Stella. As Gabriel gets settled he wants to have a drink, but it is too late for that at the hotel.
Gabriel is a man with a secret. His own daughter is studying at a local boarding school run by nuns. Gabriel and he girl has been estranged by some unknown reason that is not well explained. Eventually, Gabriel and Albert connect in surprising ways. They see in one another good nature as well as a friendship that comes from mutual understanding.
Never having seen the film, we had a chance when it showed on a French channel. The film was directed by Henri Verneuil, an old timer in that country's cinema, closely associated with Jean Gabin, having worked with him in a number of pictures together. The screenplay is credited to Francois Bover and Michel Audiard, the father of director Jacques Audiard, in an adaptation of Antoine Blondin.
The pairing of Jean Gabin and Jean-Paul Belmondo was a gamble for the creators of the film. They came from different styles of acting. Mr. Gabin was a superstar in his native country, having done excellent work throughout his career. Jean-Paul Belmondo, who was much younger, was a product of the recent New Wave, which Mr. Gabin detested because the chaotic style the new directors brought to the cinema. Evidently the stars show a rapport unimaginable, something that translated in a friendship off the camera as well.
Suzanne Flon, a character actress, plays Suzanne Quentin. Louis Page, the director of photography captured the atmosphere of the little town of Normandy, even taking us to the beaches that saw the Allied invasion of France by the Allied forces.
Years go by and Quentin and his wife, Suzanne, are living and managing their hotel, Stella, located in the center of town. The city showed no signs of what the bombing it suffered. Gabriel Fouquet arrives one night and asks to be taken to a hotel. Most of the places are closed because of the winter season. The driver recommends him to go to the Stella. As Gabriel gets settled he wants to have a drink, but it is too late for that at the hotel.
Gabriel is a man with a secret. His own daughter is studying at a local boarding school run by nuns. Gabriel and he girl has been estranged by some unknown reason that is not well explained. Eventually, Gabriel and Albert connect in surprising ways. They see in one another good nature as well as a friendship that comes from mutual understanding.
Never having seen the film, we had a chance when it showed on a French channel. The film was directed by Henri Verneuil, an old timer in that country's cinema, closely associated with Jean Gabin, having worked with him in a number of pictures together. The screenplay is credited to Francois Bover and Michel Audiard, the father of director Jacques Audiard, in an adaptation of Antoine Blondin.
The pairing of Jean Gabin and Jean-Paul Belmondo was a gamble for the creators of the film. They came from different styles of acting. Mr. Gabin was a superstar in his native country, having done excellent work throughout his career. Jean-Paul Belmondo, who was much younger, was a product of the recent New Wave, which Mr. Gabin detested because the chaotic style the new directors brought to the cinema. Evidently the stars show a rapport unimaginable, something that translated in a friendship off the camera as well.
Suzanne Flon, a character actress, plays Suzanne Quentin. Louis Page, the director of photography captured the atmosphere of the little town of Normandy, even taking us to the beaches that saw the Allied invasion of France by the Allied forces.
To watch
babotango18 January 2011
A splendid movie for everyone who had a dream and/or came back from it. About dream, excess, life, boredom, and going beyond what life gives you. And alcohol. To watch.
The actors are splendid, both at the best of their style, Gabin, an established, grounded man with a vision, Belmondo as a bold and hot-tempered, troubled young man. Suzanne Flon, Paul Frankeur and Noel Roquevert also strongly support the scenario in their 2nd roles.
The dialogues by Michel Audiard are just splendid. One liners that make you laugh and think beyond the action and that reflect on yourself.
It's a movie for people who dream further.
The actors are splendid, both at the best of their style, Gabin, an established, grounded man with a vision, Belmondo as a bold and hot-tempered, troubled young man. Suzanne Flon, Paul Frankeur and Noel Roquevert also strongly support the scenario in their 2nd roles.
The dialogues by Michel Audiard are just splendid. One liners that make you laugh and think beyond the action and that reflect on yourself.
It's a movie for people who dream further.
The fabulous,ever-enchanting,ever-surprising Belmondo!
Cristi_Ciopron17 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The good-looking Belmondo is a wonder in this fresh and lively movie:inventiveness, intoxication,agility,fearlessness, heartiness,fervency.He and Gabin give the action an almost dreamily dimension,when they kick up a row.They put to rout their fellow citizens with fireworks.The unflinching Gabin makes a rotund role,he acts GOOD-HUMOUREDLY, finely,unerringly.His character is a madcap fantasy man,a hot-spur.
Belmondo is unequaled in providing cinematographic pleasure.And "Un Singe ..." offers copious Belmondo mastership.
A provincial innkeeper is thrilled to find a mate in the fond of the bottle stranger who puts up at his inn.The stranger (Belmondo!) is merry , refined, nimble,spontaneous, youthful, suave.
The two have an allied in the shopkeeper Landru,a quaint, twisted man who sells old things together with obsolete histories.
Un singe en Hiver is a funny,light fantasy.The humor is mild and gentle.The characters are entirely fictitious,unrealistic.The situation is purely fanciful (otherwise,the plot is conventional,the poetry is cheap,gooey and low,the "wisdom" is fake).It shows what is hardening , narrow, smothering, stifling, in the provincial way of life,and also suggests an alternative.The movie lives by the performances given by Gabin and Belmondo.Belmondo is in fine fettle,unimaginably good in his role as a dreamy drunk and as a gourmet.He is as mad as a March hare.
Un singe en Hiver is not great cinema,not a 10/10 movie;but it is entertaining and mild,jovial and nicely done.And,above all,it offers one of the great, unhesitating, fragrant,fulfilled,graceful, unexampled,frolicsome, freely done Belmondo roles.Nonetheless,I think the movie is a little overrated by some.
"Un Singe ..." is one of the few important shows about dreaminess (though not on the same level as "Barfly" and "Days of Wine and Roses " ).It gets a fairy-like,ONEIRICAL thrill,suave,tender,delicate.
My favorite Belmondo shows are Pierrot Le Fou (1965) ,À bout De soufflé ,L' Homme De Rio,La Sirène Du Mississipi.
Belmondo is unequaled in providing cinematographic pleasure.And "Un Singe ..." offers copious Belmondo mastership.
A provincial innkeeper is thrilled to find a mate in the fond of the bottle stranger who puts up at his inn.The stranger (Belmondo!) is merry , refined, nimble,spontaneous, youthful, suave.
The two have an allied in the shopkeeper Landru,a quaint, twisted man who sells old things together with obsolete histories.
Un singe en Hiver is a funny,light fantasy.The humor is mild and gentle.The characters are entirely fictitious,unrealistic.The situation is purely fanciful (otherwise,the plot is conventional,the poetry is cheap,gooey and low,the "wisdom" is fake).It shows what is hardening , narrow, smothering, stifling, in the provincial way of life,and also suggests an alternative.The movie lives by the performances given by Gabin and Belmondo.Belmondo is in fine fettle,unimaginably good in his role as a dreamy drunk and as a gourmet.He is as mad as a March hare.
Un singe en Hiver is not great cinema,not a 10/10 movie;but it is entertaining and mild,jovial and nicely done.And,above all,it offers one of the great, unhesitating, fragrant,fulfilled,graceful, unexampled,frolicsome, freely done Belmondo roles.Nonetheless,I think the movie is a little overrated by some.
"Un Singe ..." is one of the few important shows about dreaminess (though not on the same level as "Barfly" and "Days of Wine and Roses " ).It gets a fairy-like,ONEIRICAL thrill,suave,tender,delicate.
My favorite Belmondo shows are Pierrot Le Fou (1965) ,À bout De soufflé ,L' Homme De Rio,La Sirène Du Mississipi.
A very good and funny movie exclusively for men
nono-523 July 1999
A very good movie where Belmondo and Gabin performed a so great duet. The story of a man who has stopped drinking- and then dreaming- and who thanks to a young man who tries to forget a lost love in alcohol will turn drunk again during an exciting night. Every man who has ever felt the pleasure of alcohol as a dream and nostalgic catalyst will enjoy watching it. The dialogs are exceptionnal thanks to Michel Audiard.
Monkey Pleasure
writers_reign14 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Despite his detestation of the New Wave (you got that one right, Jean)Gabin worked well with a new generation of actors, specifically Alain Delon and, as here, Jean-Paul Belmondo who was a genuine product of le nouvelle vague. This is a story of unlikely male friendship yet it is light years short of Il Postino in terms of intensity, it uses the unlikely bonding to generate laughs but L'Emmerdeur or virtually any of Francis Weber's other male bonding titles - Le Chevre, Les Comperes, Tais- Toi - leave it dead in the water. And yet it works, it weaves its spell, spins its web and we succumb gratefully. Of course Belmondo's sole representative of the nouvelle vague is hopelessly outnumbered not just by Gabin himself (even if by himself he is worth ALL the new waveleteers put together) but by the wonderful Suzanne Flon, Noel Roquevert and Gabriele Dorziat albeit in a cameo, all veterans of real French film making. All in all it's a joyous experience laced with a beguiling charm.
One of the greatest movie ever made
alexcornas25 May 2019
Un Singe en Hiver is famous for bringing together the France of the first half of the Century, symbolised by its greatest actor, Jean Gabin, and the greatest actor of the second half of the century, Jean Paul Belmondo. It not only brought them together but it created magic on the screen. The chemistry between Gabin and the kid Belmondo is incredible and carries this wonderful, yet simplistic, scenario to perfection.
The movie respects all three Greek units of creation, unity of action (it is the story of a man coming to get his daughter back, who incidentally meets an old man who looks a lot like the man he could become), unity of place, the whole movie takes place in the coastal town of Tigreville, Normandie, and unity of time, the whole movie takes places over 3 or 4 days.
The movie, written by legendary screenwriter Audiard, offers some of the best dialogues ever written for the big screen, it is at the same time a drama and a comedy. It is very much a French movie where, in essence, nothing happens, but a lot is actually being told. Every word carries its weight, every sentence unveils more about the story or the past of the two central characters played by Gabin and Belmondo.
Few movies can equally make you laugh, touch you and inspire you like Henry Vernieul's movie does. It is a story about good men who sometimes need to live a little and entertain themselves, enjoy life and dream a little.
It is unlikely we will ever get a movie like this again, it a jewel to treasure for the end of times.
The movie respects all three Greek units of creation, unity of action (it is the story of a man coming to get his daughter back, who incidentally meets an old man who looks a lot like the man he could become), unity of place, the whole movie takes place in the coastal town of Tigreville, Normandie, and unity of time, the whole movie takes places over 3 or 4 days.
The movie, written by legendary screenwriter Audiard, offers some of the best dialogues ever written for the big screen, it is at the same time a drama and a comedy. It is very much a French movie where, in essence, nothing happens, but a lot is actually being told. Every word carries its weight, every sentence unveils more about the story or the past of the two central characters played by Gabin and Belmondo.
Few movies can equally make you laugh, touch you and inspire you like Henry Vernieul's movie does. It is a story about good men who sometimes need to live a little and entertain themselves, enjoy life and dream a little.
It is unlikely we will ever get a movie like this again, it a jewel to treasure for the end of times.
Very Good As Far As A Typically French Film
Horror-yo21 December 2017
French films often focus on things that are really quite different from the English/American scene. They're a lot about dialog, attitude, and big(mouthed) iconic protagonists - often less about an obvious moral at the end. This film is neither really a comedy nor a drama, it's like that perfect nuance between the two and borrows from both in a very typically French kind of cynical/blasé way.
Instead of a great big moral as most films around the world usually have which they culminate towards, this one has rather a theme that is omnipresent throughout the developments. It's more like an ongoing element of both lead characters' conscience, or rather subconscious - as the synopsis states: the desire to travel. That irresistible urge to discover or rather rediscover a place exotic, festive and foreign; foreign to the boring old daily, routine life.
As referenced in the first line of this review, French films are best when the dialog is best and this one has the right quality for the ambitions of the story and Gabin and Belmondo both do a very good job, Gabin especially as he seems to have been that very character at some point in his life, understands him so well. Such lines as (speaking to his wife, -paraphrasing): "Suzanne tu n'as que des qualités, mais tu m'emmerdes !" - so French in spirit, and a sentence so heavy with significance as it pertains to the sheltered, redundant gentrified "real" life.
Interesting, well acted out, very good dialog, very well paced and filled up: 7.5/10. My own criticism: perhaps the "dream life" is hinted at too much where the film settles for carrying out the events in the plot while not further exploring that strong element of abstract emotion that remains merely underlying and implied.
Instead of a great big moral as most films around the world usually have which they culminate towards, this one has rather a theme that is omnipresent throughout the developments. It's more like an ongoing element of both lead characters' conscience, or rather subconscious - as the synopsis states: the desire to travel. That irresistible urge to discover or rather rediscover a place exotic, festive and foreign; foreign to the boring old daily, routine life.
As referenced in the first line of this review, French films are best when the dialog is best and this one has the right quality for the ambitions of the story and Gabin and Belmondo both do a very good job, Gabin especially as he seems to have been that very character at some point in his life, understands him so well. Such lines as (speaking to his wife, -paraphrasing): "Suzanne tu n'as que des qualités, mais tu m'emmerdes !" - so French in spirit, and a sentence so heavy with significance as it pertains to the sheltered, redundant gentrified "real" life.
Interesting, well acted out, very good dialog, very well paced and filled up: 7.5/10. My own criticism: perhaps the "dream life" is hinted at too much where the film settles for carrying out the events in the plot while not further exploring that strong element of abstract emotion that remains merely underlying and implied.
two legends
dromasca9 October 2021
In 1962, the year when Henri Verneuil made 'Un singe en hiver', Jean Gabin was 58 years old (younger than Tom Cruise is today!), He was already considered a 'sacred monster' of the French screen and had entered the final phase of his career, that of senatorial roles (including Commissioner Maigret but also the chief of the clan of the Sicilians). Jean-Paul Belmondo was 29 years old and was on the rise, propelled by the films of the French 'New Wave'. Today, both actors are legends, each in his own unique style, having in common the fact that their personalities have amplified their talent and dominated every film in which they appeared. Director Henri Verneuil (who was born in Armenia, his real name was Achod Malakian) has the great merit of bringing them together on screen in this film in which the roles fit them perfectly and the two understand well each other and collaborate wonderfully. It's not the only reason 'Un singe en hiver' is a movie worth watching or reviewing today.
Henri Verneuil was one of the directors who declared himself an adept of the so-called 'quality cinema', criticised and rejected by the directors of the New Wave. And yet, 'Un singe en hiver' demonstrates how relative the categorisations are, and to what extent good films belonging to the same period or film schools get together and find common ground or elements of dialogue. The script is an adaptation of a novel by a writer named Antoine Blondin. Unlike the directors of the New Wave, Verneuil does not leave the actors too much freedom to improvise. However, the feeling of authenticity is pronounced due to the dialogues written by Michel Audiard (an exceptional screenwriter to whom over a hundred French films owe their texts) and the fact that it was difficult and useless to direct the gestures and facial expressions of actors like Gabin and Belmondo. The music (excellent by the way - belongs to Michel Magne) accompanies the moods and marks the story, while the camera is handled with classical caution, which does not prevent us from admiring the quality of cinematography signed by Louis Page, using cinemascope and black and white film . Verneuil filmed very little in the studio for this film. The scenery is all natural, the town of Tigreville in the movie with its streets, cliffs and beaches is Villerville on the coast of Normandy, a coastal city that to this day celebrates the filming that took place there in the early '60s. The subject of the film itself talks about the freedom to be different, a theme dear to the New Wave, and the connection of heroes with alcohol immediately reminds viewers today of the excellent Danish film 'Another Round', this year's Academy Award winner for best film in a foreign language.
Watching Jean Gabin and Jean-Paul Belmondo on screen together is a real treat. Gabin has been cast throughout his career only in a few comedy roles. The one in this movie is one of them and demonstrates how funny and profound he could be at the same time. Belmondo, on the contrary, creates one of the roles in which the charm of his personality hints at a background of humanity with dramatic nuances. Both actors have a lot of fun and it is clear that they feel good together, in this high-level meeting between two characters from different generations played by two great actors from different generations. Noel Roquevert and Paul Frankeur are also part of the cast, in supporting roles, building colourful and authentic characters in a only a few scenes. 'Un singe en hiver' is a tender and funny story, a 'good feeling' film of the '60s whose charm is only amplified by the passage of time.
Henri Verneuil was one of the directors who declared himself an adept of the so-called 'quality cinema', criticised and rejected by the directors of the New Wave. And yet, 'Un singe en hiver' demonstrates how relative the categorisations are, and to what extent good films belonging to the same period or film schools get together and find common ground or elements of dialogue. The script is an adaptation of a novel by a writer named Antoine Blondin. Unlike the directors of the New Wave, Verneuil does not leave the actors too much freedom to improvise. However, the feeling of authenticity is pronounced due to the dialogues written by Michel Audiard (an exceptional screenwriter to whom over a hundred French films owe their texts) and the fact that it was difficult and useless to direct the gestures and facial expressions of actors like Gabin and Belmondo. The music (excellent by the way - belongs to Michel Magne) accompanies the moods and marks the story, while the camera is handled with classical caution, which does not prevent us from admiring the quality of cinematography signed by Louis Page, using cinemascope and black and white film . Verneuil filmed very little in the studio for this film. The scenery is all natural, the town of Tigreville in the movie with its streets, cliffs and beaches is Villerville on the coast of Normandy, a coastal city that to this day celebrates the filming that took place there in the early '60s. The subject of the film itself talks about the freedom to be different, a theme dear to the New Wave, and the connection of heroes with alcohol immediately reminds viewers today of the excellent Danish film 'Another Round', this year's Academy Award winner for best film in a foreign language.
Watching Jean Gabin and Jean-Paul Belmondo on screen together is a real treat. Gabin has been cast throughout his career only in a few comedy roles. The one in this movie is one of them and demonstrates how funny and profound he could be at the same time. Belmondo, on the contrary, creates one of the roles in which the charm of his personality hints at a background of humanity with dramatic nuances. Both actors have a lot of fun and it is clear that they feel good together, in this high-level meeting between two characters from different generations played by two great actors from different generations. Noel Roquevert and Paul Frankeur are also part of the cast, in supporting roles, building colourful and authentic characters in a only a few scenes. 'Un singe en hiver' is a tender and funny story, a 'good feeling' film of the '60s whose charm is only amplified by the passage of time.
Lots of boozing but nary any comedy in this French flick
SimonJack28 June 2020
"A Monkey in Winter" is a 1962 French film based on a novel by Antoine Blondin. The most interesting thing about this film is the opening scenes during World War II and the German occupation of the town, Tigreville. It's actually Villerville, a Normandy vacation spot on the English Channel near L'Havre.
The scenic shots of the locale are impressive and interesting. But the aerial scenes of Allied bombers look very strange - as though they might have been cutouts or models filmed. They just don't look real. Obviously, though, the producers obtained some aerial combat film footage from the war that is interspersed here and there.
The plot of two sots in the first part, and then one sot with a returned sot in the second half, wasn't at all entertaining to me. Nor can I imagine why this would be of such interest or entertainment to anyone else. The aspect of Albert Quentin being a day-dreaming dipsomaniac is noted, but for what point or entertainment? This film hardly has anything comical for a supposed comedy-drama.
I know that Jean Gabin and Jean-Paul Belmondo were two great French actors. They made some very good films in their day. And, they are okay with their roles here. But with a plot that is little more than a few days in the lives of a couple of people, with boozing shown as escapism, "A Monkey in Winter" is more of a downer than entertainment. This seemed much like the TV soap series that became popular during that time.
Apparently this was considered something special by French audiences of the day, and the village of Villerville actually has a historical marker from the making of this movie. The one very implausible scene is the huge fireworks display supposedly set off by just three men who carry a few boxes of fireworks from a store and set up and light a huge display on the beach. Another questionable scene is townspeople (it's the off-season so there aren't many visitors) cheering Belmondo's Gabriel Fouquet who stands in the middle of the main traffic square into town and acts as a bull-fighter with a cape to oncoming cars.
I can think of many places where people would think such a guy was nuts, but they surely wouldn't be cheering him on. I spent time in France in 1963 and 1964, but that sort of "humor" wasn't evident along the French Riviera. And, I have had French friends and several acquaintances. Could this be a regional type of humor - of those from Northern France (where Paris is located, of course)? One thinks of the period of the French Revolution when spectators cheered and applauded as people lost their heads in quite another literal way at the guillotine.
One of the townspeople in a cabaret tells Fouquet that "they call this place the California of Normandy." The best lines are a simple exchange between Gabin's Albert Quentin and his wife, Suzanne (played by Suzanne Flon). She says, "Weird hour to arrive, especially in this weather." And, Albert replies, "Travelers are made to travel. The weather doesn't count."
This just isn't much of a film that many might find entertaining.
The scenic shots of the locale are impressive and interesting. But the aerial scenes of Allied bombers look very strange - as though they might have been cutouts or models filmed. They just don't look real. Obviously, though, the producers obtained some aerial combat film footage from the war that is interspersed here and there.
The plot of two sots in the first part, and then one sot with a returned sot in the second half, wasn't at all entertaining to me. Nor can I imagine why this would be of such interest or entertainment to anyone else. The aspect of Albert Quentin being a day-dreaming dipsomaniac is noted, but for what point or entertainment? This film hardly has anything comical for a supposed comedy-drama.
I know that Jean Gabin and Jean-Paul Belmondo were two great French actors. They made some very good films in their day. And, they are okay with their roles here. But with a plot that is little more than a few days in the lives of a couple of people, with boozing shown as escapism, "A Monkey in Winter" is more of a downer than entertainment. This seemed much like the TV soap series that became popular during that time.
Apparently this was considered something special by French audiences of the day, and the village of Villerville actually has a historical marker from the making of this movie. The one very implausible scene is the huge fireworks display supposedly set off by just three men who carry a few boxes of fireworks from a store and set up and light a huge display on the beach. Another questionable scene is townspeople (it's the off-season so there aren't many visitors) cheering Belmondo's Gabriel Fouquet who stands in the middle of the main traffic square into town and acts as a bull-fighter with a cape to oncoming cars.
I can think of many places where people would think such a guy was nuts, but they surely wouldn't be cheering him on. I spent time in France in 1963 and 1964, but that sort of "humor" wasn't evident along the French Riviera. And, I have had French friends and several acquaintances. Could this be a regional type of humor - of those from Northern France (where Paris is located, of course)? One thinks of the period of the French Revolution when spectators cheered and applauded as people lost their heads in quite another literal way at the guillotine.
One of the townspeople in a cabaret tells Fouquet that "they call this place the California of Normandy." The best lines are a simple exchange between Gabin's Albert Quentin and his wife, Suzanne (played by Suzanne Flon). She says, "Weird hour to arrive, especially in this weather." And, Albert replies, "Travelers are made to travel. The weather doesn't count."
This just isn't much of a film that many might find entertaining.
Gabin at his peak
searchanddestroy-119 November 2015
What could I add more besides everything that has already been told? That's the only picture between Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Gabin. Unfortunately. it was at this time the new generation vs the old one. You will have nearly the same scheme in 2009, with LE VIEIL HOMME ET SON CHIEN, where this time Belmondo will have a short sequence - too short for my own taste - with Jean Dujardin; Belmondo had this time the same position Gabin had with him more than forty five years earlier.
This movie: UN SINGE EN HIVER, is not only a film about drunk people and loneliness, absolutely not, but about the true meaning of life and friendship. And in this film, Jean Gabin plays a old sailor character, the nearly same he will have nine years later in LE DRAPEAU NOIR FLOTTE SUR LA MARMITE, a poignant movie too, even being a comedy written by Michel Audiard.
This movie: UN SINGE EN HIVER, is not only a film about drunk people and loneliness, absolutely not, but about the true meaning of life and friendship. And in this film, Jean Gabin plays a old sailor character, the nearly same he will have nine years later in LE DRAPEAU NOIR FLOTTE SUR LA MARMITE, a poignant movie too, even being a comedy written by Michel Audiard.
Pathetical
hubertguillaud28 January 2022
This long and exhausting ode to drunkenness is as empty and crude as an old uncle's Christmas dinner. Verneuil/Audiard/Blondin are definitely the trio of the rancid French, pathetically served by Belmondo and Gabin, who ham it up. To be watched drunk, but still?
more than a fine comedy
Kirpianuscus2 June 2018
Its lead virtue is to be more than a good comedy. a film about life. and its choices. about two men, in Tigreville. and about the result of that meeting who could change everything. a film about decisions, past strangers and...Spain. nothing new, but all useful in deep sense. because it is a simple film. about simple people. and about the fundamental meanings of existence. and sure, a fine motif for see it remains the presence of Gabin and Belmondo and their almost total seductive performances.
Before we settle into our long emotional winter...
philosopherjack25 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Henri Verneuil certainly doesn't rank among the front rank of French filmmakers, but his films are never dull, and are often surprisingly ambitious on multiple levels. Un singe en hiver starts out as a mixed bag, an impressive recreation of WW2 occupation and attack undermined by a cringe-inducingly scene-chewing Jean Gabin drunk act. But then we're fifteen years in the future, and Gabin's character, Albert Quentin, is in his fifteenth year of sobriety, and almost perishing from the boredom of it all, running an inn in a small town where few people visit: no wonder then, that his resolve might crack when a guest like Jean-Paul Belmondo's Gabriel Fouquet shows up, another soul preoccupied with past losses and glories who in the present finds full expression only at the bottom of a glass. The film is dotted with odd character sketches - a boarding school principal who pretends she can only speak English; an eccentric store owner with a story to accompany every item of inventory - which we eventually understand as part of a philosophy of tolerance, of an understanding of what it takes to get through an uneventful existence: some of us bake the fantasy release into our very beings, for others it accumulates into a grand pyrotechnic release (the film may be implying that war itself can be partially understood in these terms) after which we may more readily settle into our long emotional winter. The grandly bombastic dialogue, by Michel Audiard, may not be generally naturalistic or persuasive, but it's seldom ignorable either. As so often, the existential plight of the male counts for much more than that of the female - Quentin's wife is allowed only the briefest moments of self-indulgence before returning to her designated role of quietly unquestioning support, and the film's other main female character only exists to facilitate his outbursts, a role into which she slots back with barely a hitch after the fifteen year break.
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