Of course, this movie is not perfect. Of course, it is hardly funny and the situations are mostly banal or exaggerated. Of course, this movie is like a Rohmer-light (in less intelligent and without its fluidity). Of course, you never believe in the story (a series of love quiproquos at Marseille, and mostly in its beach) nor in the characters (comedy stereotypes).
But none of this really matters, for the only important thing in this first movie is the invention of a recurrent character, that Emmanuel Mouret plays in his own movies. This character is a improbable crossover between Jean-Pierre Léaud and Petter Sellers, and is the great achievement of the movie. There is also the joy of seeing a simple and unpretentious movie , which is quite rare in the heavy world of french "cinema d'auteur".
Just a bit of advise now, if you want to really enjoy the movie, watch it after "Changement d'adresse", directed by the same director, who played the same great burlesque character in a much more satisfied movie.
But none of this really matters, for the only important thing in this first movie is the invention of a recurrent character, that Emmanuel Mouret plays in his own movies. This character is a improbable crossover between Jean-Pierre Léaud and Petter Sellers, and is the great achievement of the movie. There is also the joy of seeing a simple and unpretentious movie , which is quite rare in the heavy world of french "cinema d'auteur".
Just a bit of advise now, if you want to really enjoy the movie, watch it after "Changement d'adresse", directed by the same director, who played the same great burlesque character in a much more satisfied movie.
