The Closet
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Movie Reviews of The Closet
Movie Review: One of the funniest movies @ the self-fulfilling prophecy
Summary: 5 Stars
Besides the terrific acting--especially from Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu, writing and directing, what I liked about "The Closet" was how the Auteuil character did not ham it up after he decided to pretend he was gay--he just played himself. A lot of Hollywood movies would not have the guts to show a gay man behave "normally." They would have him behave like a screaming idiot like the Kevin Kline character in "In and Out." I thought it was interesting to note that when the Auteuil character was straight, meek and boring--the people around him perceived him that way so he wound up behaving that way: not wanting to create waves. A perfect example of this is at the beginning of the movie when he bows out of the company photograph. However, when he pretended to be gay, the same people changed their outlook on him and saw him as an exciting, dangerous, sex machine. As a result, he behaved that way by taking charge of his life. Can you picture the Auteuil character when was straight, meek and boring bursting into the CEO's office and accusing his boss for sexual harrassment, telling his ex-wife off that he doesn't find her interesting anymore, or making love to his boss on an assembly line? No way. This is the behavior from the Auteuil character when he is pretending to be gay. He is merely fulfilling the self-fulfilling prophecy and that is why I liked this movie: it is making a statement that society forms our behavior. If we look like such nice people then we must behave that way and if we don't, they'll say "That's not like you!" But if we come across as loud and aggressive and we behave in a not very nice way, they'll just write it off by saying that's just the way they are. So what am I trying to say here? That the people who behave in a rude manner are rewarded and the people who behave in a polite manner are condemned. That's exactly what happened in "The Closet." When the Auteuil character was behaving in a polite manner by not wanting to create waves--he almost loses his job. But when he accuses his boss for sexual harrassment--he not only keeps his job but he gets the girl too. There is something wrong with a society when these things occur. That is why I liked this movie--it dealt with these isues. That and also because it was extremely funny.Movie Review: A New Meaning to Coming Out!
Summary: 5 Stars
This French film is one of the funniest movies ever, with great writing and a cast of huge talents.
It all begins in a condom manufacturing plant with a boring accountant (Daniel Auteuil) who overhears from a bathroom stall that he will be fired from his position. Upon returning home he informs his ex-wife and son of his pending predicament and vows to find another job in order to keep them in alimony. He meets a new neighbor (Michel Aumont) who convinces him not to jump from his balcony and the fun soon begins. Together they concoct a story to save his job believing that if he can convince his company that he is really gay he will save his position by suggesting a prejudice exists. The company sends its dogs out to fend off any chance of a lawsuit and uses the services of its most macho employee (Gerard Depardieu) to "romance" away any perceived distaste for the new discovery. From here the story spins and weaves into a web of hilarious lies that will have you rolling on the floor in laughter.
This film is so well written and easy to follow that the sub-titles are easily accepted by even the most English of all English speakers. While some of the references in this film might be taken harshly by those of the gay persuasion it is really only a lighthearted stab at all of the stereotypes that lurk within a corporate existence. Boring accountants could also take offense for that matter! Auteuil is fantastic as the bumbling lead, Depardieu is never better as the macho man who eventually finds his true passion, Aumont wonderful as the helpful neighbor with a few secrets of his own, the incomparable Jean Rochefort adds his own brand of humor to the film cast as the company CEO and the cast just continues into a complete brilliance.
If you love to laugh, especially at yourself, this film will keep you in stitches and one viewing will leave you wanting more. For collectors of comedy films this one is a must have. So forget your hang-ups and enjoy a moment out of whatever closet suffocates you.
Movie Review: Superb French comedy with sad undertones.
Summary: 5 Stars
"It's the eyes of the beholder". Yes, sure, but does it matter?
François Pignon seems to be able to do nothing well in life. Until, by
an accident of fate, and a bright neighbour, formerly an enterprise
psychologist, they find out how to avoid the bad news, get to know
who's who in his family and work colleagues, and get the reins of his
own life, which seemed to be a robot's.
Michel Aumont is a fantastic actor, so natural it makes you tremble.
Without him, the film just wouldn't exist. Yes, Auteuil is also fine as
a likable looser. When he "squints like a gay", he really does
something ... unusual. Like on a Rorschach test, it just takes an
ambiguous image for us viewers to project who we really are. The
envious co worker, the racist macho, the brainy one who plays with
other people's feelings like if they were chess pieces, the bright
beautiful competitive blonde which rightly suspects from the start, the
boss who wields power but just doesn't want trouble, the bright African
who also has mixed feelings about the white majority, his stunning but
sour & selfish ex wife, their aloof frivolous teenager, in short, the
human comedy. Balzac would be proud.
Pignon, like his neighbour's kitten, is probably too grey to be
distinguishable from most people we know. If there's something
reassuring in this comedy that takes place at a fake condom factory is
that we could all change. If only ...
Veber, director of "The dinner game" and of lesser works, is at his
best here.
While stereotypes abound, they are probably forced upon us to make the
"clockwork orange" of gags work relentlessly. At that it succeeds
admirably.
Pure enjoyment!
PS: Kudos to the nicest kittens I've seen on a film :).
Movie Review: It's in the eye of the beholder
Summary: 5 Stars
How much of your life is what you make of it, or what others make of it for you?Ms Pignon (Daniel Auteil from Jean de Florette) is a mousy, grey, drab accountant,working in a condom factory, that can't even get in the company picture. He finds, while in the bathroom from the chief of personnel (Gerarad Depardieu)that he will be laid off. Depardieu is also the coach of the company rugby team, a homophobic macho maniac.
Everybody seems to know that he's getting canned but him.
While trying to kill himself by jumping off a window, his new neighbor stops him. "It's my car down there, you'll wreck the roof" His neighbor, an industrial psychologist hatches a plan to save Pignon's job. He alters some gay pictures to make it seem that Pignon is gay. He cannot be fired anymore, or the company, with a large gay clientele would suffer a public relations nightmare.
He does not change anything in his life. His words, his actions, are exactly the same, but the reactions of everybody in his life to him change dramatically. His ex-wife, (Alexandra Vandernoot from The Dinner Game) who won't even take his calls, now answers the phone. Even his son, who refuses to dine with him because he is so drab, finds him interesting and cool after seeing him in the gay pride parade.
The whole movie is a study in reality vs perception, with a comic French touch that will have you laughing out loud.
Next the cast.
I've already mentioned Auteil and Depardieu, but the rest of the cast is a who's who of modern French cinema.
Thierry Lhermitte, and Alexandra Vandernoot from The Dinner Game; Jean Rochefort from The hairdresser's husband and The Professional.
If you like mainstream movies, or slapstick, then you probably are not reading this. If you've come this far, then your comedies must be intelligent and also perhaps sarcastic, and if so, this is the movie for you.
Movie Review: DELIGHTFUL SCREWBALL HUMOR
Summary: 5 Stars
Le Placard is an interesting hybrid: a French farce (but not as racy as most), a sophisticated screwball comedy of the pre-WWII mode (except more ribald), and a "message" film (about how our prejudices against gays distort how we think of homosexuals and of others we mistakenly think are gay). The film brings all of these elements together with a light touch, so even those people disinclined to agree with its message will find themselves laughing at the crazy antics. The filmmakers understood that if Le Placard was not to be like one of those sappy but "humorous" Robin Williams' message movies, the humor had to be what would drive the film, and this motion picture delivers the comedy in spades. It is one of the best new comedies I've seen in a while.