An American Werewolf In Paris
Chad'z rating: *** (out of 4 = good)
1997, R, 98 minutes [1 hour, 38 minutes]
[horror/satire]
starring: Tom Everett Scott (Andy), Julie Delpy (Serafine), Pierre Cosso (Claude), Vince Vieluf (Brad); written by Tim Burns, Tom Stern, Anthony Waller; produced by Richard Claus; directed by Anthony Waller; based on characters created by John Landis.
Seen December 18, 1997 at 7:30 p.m. at the Rotterdam Square Mall cinemas (Rotterdam, NY), theater #1, with Chris Wessell for free (promotional advanced screening passes). [Theater rating: ***: good seats, sound, and picture]
Movie producers are often in no-win situations. When they do the same things over and over again we complain about their lack of originality. However, when they try to shake things up, the results are often sloppy. Perhaps the reason "An American Werewolf In Paris" succeeds is because it does both of these at the same time without even trying. The result is a genuinely interesting, charming B-movie on a grand scale.
The film starts out in the spirit of bad horror movies by introducing us to three typical friends, Andy (Scott), Brad (Vince Vieluf), and Chris (Phil Buckman) who are college-age Americans traveling through Europe. Within the first few minutes generic characterization is unveiled, and it's no surprise two of the guys are jocks while the other is a geek. We they spot a sexy French babe on a train, the discussion of sex and who has and who will accumulate the most "points" comes up. It's no surprise Andy, the dorky one, is way behind on points and falls in love with the girl at first sight.
Campiness, combined with blatant foreshadowing, is the icing on the horror- film cake, and we get a good, tasty helping of that here. For example, the buddies' dialogue and actions are cartoony, and Andy's crush on the French girl seems significant, yet it works because everything's so lighthearted and appealing. There's a scene in which the guys sneak up to the top of the Eiffel Tower to bungee jump off it, but bump into the same girl up there. When she attempts to leap to her death, Andy ends up saving her through a fantastic action sequence. Yes, the situation is quite silly in premise, but the atmosphere it lighthearted enough to make it all work. Even the slapstick gags that ensue right after the serious scenes don't seem out of place and are actually very funny.
Through a series of events which could best be described as "movie events for the sake of a movie," Andy finds his dream girl, learns her name is Serafine (Delpy), and manages to get a date with her even though his friends think she's insane. The first act revolves almost entirely around this plotline, but does drop hints of something supernatural going on. And it is because of this factor that the film's transition from the lighthearted to the grim and gritty works.
As the second act develops, the mood continues to get darker and darker, while the screenplay gives the main characters just the right amount of depth and puts them in particular situations to keep everything well-paced. When the guys go to an underground party (literally) hosted by Serafine's caretaker, Claude (Cosso), the true nature of the film is revealed. It's clear from the get-go who the werewolves are (and "good" and "bad" werewolves at that), who's going to become a werewolf, and who's going to die.
We get the dark, Gothic scenes set in the sewers with the werewolves jumping out of the shadows, and scenes of the werewolves attacking crowds of trapped people. But surprisingly enough, there is authentic tension to these scenes and little gore. The true horrorific elements come through the shots of the people running for their lives as seen through the werewolves' eyes, and the aftermath scenes of police putting body parts into evidence bags.
As the film passes its midpoint, it undergoes many changes as the story actually has a focus and the satirical elements are brought back into play and perfectly synchronized with the more intense aspects. What's most remarkable is how the story and its polarized atmospheres are able to further each other. This is perfectly illustrated through the basic plot and it subplots and how they work together. Andy and Serafine are trying to stop Claude's werewolf cult from slaughtering innocent people, but Andy's "undead" victims keep harassing him and create for a paradox that's both comical and serious at the same time, but it all comes together in the end.
It's funny how certain things can be seen as enhancements to some and flaws to others, and "An American Werewolf In Paris" is based on this principle. Although it does have problems, it should be appreciated for its ability to be consistently entertaining and original.
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(C) 1997 Chad Polenz
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