Movie Madness!

Written by Brian Thomas

French Twist Let's Do Le Twist Even if you're the type that's allergic to subtitles (I call it "cinilliteracy"), you should give this well-crafted new French comedy a try. Consider it your contribution to international relations. It's likely you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised by how easily you're caught up in the sophisticated but earthy antics going on above all those words. Laurent Lafaye is leading the good life. He spends his days pursuing numerous affairs while selling real estate in the beautiful French countryside, while his faithful wife Loli cares for their house and two children. One day, a van breaks down in front of their house, and Loli has the driver in for a chat. When Laurent runs out on her carefully prepared dinner to pursue pressing business (monkey business, that is), the annoyed Loli invites the stranger to stay to dinner. Loli finds herself drawn to her new friend, and over the course of the evening allows herself to be seduced. Not an unusual situation in itself, except for the first and central twist of the story: the driver happens to be a stocky lesbian named Maryjo. Laurent is so confident of his own machismo that he suspects nothing. Later, when he discovers the truth of the affair, he freaks out. Despite Loli's pleas for forgiveness, he flies into a fit of self-righteous rage. Loli flees to the arms of the waiting Maryjo, but later decides to end the affair and beg her husband to take her back. However, at this point she finds out about Laurent's own indiscretions. Then it's her turn to freak out. Maryjo moves in with the Lafayes, and a bizarre war of wills begins. Such a sordid plot could have easily been played as plodding, agonizing drama, but fortunately the tone is kept light throughout and the result is a first rate situation comedy, with a nicely understated message of tolerance. As the tides of battle constantly shift, each corner of the triangle has their own little victory, only to be toppled by the next twist of the plot (and there are many). For a while, Loli seems happy to have found what she feels is a perfect arrangement, but it's only another incarnation of their menage au trouble. The cast is wonderful. Victoria Abril, always welcome, plays Loli with just the right mix of naïve trust and good nature with an underlying note of remorse and need. While still a beauty, she's stripped away the stylish flair of past roles to make herself a believable homemaker - well, a homemaker that still walks like a dancer. Director Josianne Balasko herself assays the role of Maryjo. Although playing things a bit flat at times, she does a capable job with a difficult character. After all, despite the fact that Maryjo is going through some hard times following a breakup with a former lover, she proves herself to be a deviously relentless home-wrecker. It's not easy maintaining audience empathy while your character is stirring up such trouble. Following the same vein, we come to the third corner of our something's-not-right triangle. Alain Chabat, who looks a bit like an un-buffed Sylvester Stallone, pulls off the most difficult role of all as the troubled lothario Laurent. Despite the fact that he's shown to be a complete cad, his obvious love for his wife and family, and the fact that he puts up with much more than is expected of him, provokes quite a bit of sympathy for his plight. While behind the camera, Balasko wisely decides not to pull any fancy stunts, keeping the focus on unfolding events without distraction. Only when it comes to the gorgeous locations (or the gorgeous leading lady) does she pause to give us a shot of breathtaking beauty, which is a choice that's difficult to criticize. But primarily, the camera concentrates on giving a clear view of each hilarious plot twist. The spicy tone is well complemented with a nice mix of world beat style pop music, which fits perfectly with the fact that Maryjo is a club deejay and former musician. As is the usual course with entertaining French films, you can expect a Hollywood remake some time in the next few years. And, as is also the usual course, it will no doubt be unnecessary and inferior. Front Page || Movie Madness Copyright © 1994-1997 by Virtual Press/Global Internet Solutions. Internet Daily News and its respective columns are trademarks of Virtual Press/Global Internet Solutions.