citrin@ucbvax.UUCP (Wayne Citrin) (08/09/84)
This is my idea of a "summer film;" a light comedy like this, an intellegent
mystery,
or a good, reasonably plotted adventure. This isn't to say that weightier
fare like "Under the Volcano" is unwelcome, but watching a bloated special
effects film like Indiana Jones or Ghostbusters is like eating a heavy meal on
a hot day; it just sits there uncomfortably and affords no enjoyment.
Well, now that I've got that out of the way, let me say that "Les Comperes"
isn't perfect. The story is run-of-the-mill and rather predictable.
The film's enjoyment comes from watching a pair of extremely charismatic
actors, Pierre ("The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe") Richard and
Gerard ("The Return of Martin Guerre") Depardieu. They play an unlikely
pair who get together to find an old lover's runaway son, since each
believes the boy to be his son.
To those who have seen Richard in "The Tall Blond Man ...," his comic
talents will come as no surprise. He reminds me a lot of the early
Woody Allen and a lot of Charlie Chaplin. Depardieu, though, is a
big surprise, since he has mostly appeared in dramatic roles, but his
performance here as a brawny, violence-prone journalist is hilarious.
Hopefully we'll be seeing him in some more comedies.
As I've said before, you'll probably guess what will happen before it does,
but that should be outweighed by the enjoyment of watching the excellent
chemistry between these two fine actors. I give it *** (out of ****).
Wayne Citrin
(ucbvax!citrin)