Courtesy of E1 Entertainment
Dir: Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie, City of the Lost Children, Delicatessen)
Cast: Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Omar Sy, Dominique Pinon, Marie-Julie Baup, Yolande Moreau
France, 2010
Reason to see: Jean-Pierre Jeunet films are always a yes for me.
I'm always excited t see a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film from seeing and being won over by Delicatessen way back in the days of Paradise Theatre here in Toronto. Then after seeing the whimsical and beautiful Amélie I knew I'd be fan of his work for life. In his latest, Micmacs / Micmacs à tire-larigot, we return to a darker setting amongst literal scavengers and a plot seeped in revenge.
Dany Boon stars as Bazil, a film fan and performer who hasn't had the best of luck and the opportunities before seem to align perfectly with avenging in response. It's a film that you really don't need to know that much going into it as you really want to let the plot unfold before you. It's filled with creative imagery, setting and performances that come alive on the screen, literally.
One huge treat of the film is the fantastic ensemble cast, including the always incredible Dominique Pinon, whom all are quirky-yet-talented and make up a literal band of misfits. I do wish we although we had gotten to know them a little better in the film, as they do play important roles but mostly serve unique functions making that quirkiness feel oddly perfectly functional. That functionalness plays perfectly into the films plot and tone which at many times fits a heist film of a group of characters meeting an objective covertly and against the odds.
It feels like a bit of an easy out to say that Micmacs / Micmacs à tire-larigot feels like if you took the whimsy of Amélie and set it in a more Delicatessen decorated world, but it would also be a very true and apt description. I didn't expect it to be centred in today's world as in general it feels pretty timeless, but it certainly is commenting on current issues. But, it's darkly whimsical nature and fantastically expressive performances easily made it well worth seeing and enjoyable.
DVD Extras:
- Interview with Jean-Pierre Jeunet (8 minutes) - Fantastic interview with Jean-Pierre Jeunet about the films concept, working with Dany Boon, inspiration for the film and inspiration and the creative process in general, themes in his work, varied response to his work internationally and a lot more. Interview is in French with English subtitles.
or [French Packaging]
. See Amazon.com
in the future for US release date.Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it fans of films with a whimsical and comical nature
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© Shannon Ridler, 2010
Originally reviewed for Theatrical Release - May 27, 2010
Dany Boon in Micmacs, Courtesy of E1 Entertainment
Dany Boon, Marie-Julie Baup and Omar Sy in Micmacs, Courtesy of E1 Entertainment
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