GROSSE FATIGUE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.3
France, 1994 U.S. Availability: limited release 7/95 Running Length: 1:24 MPAA Classification: R (Double entendres, profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Michel Blanc, Carole Bouquet, Philippe Noiret Director: Michel Blanc Producer: Patrice Ledoux Screenplay: Michel Blanc Cinematography: Eduardo Serra Music: Rene-Marc Bini U.S. Distributor: Miramax Zoe In French with English subtitles
There are two types of satire: high concept and low concept. Both lampoon specific targets, but while the latter does so with more concern for belly-laughs than subtle, thought-provoking amusement, the former is often characterized by wit and intelligence. GROSSE FATIGUE, a quirky, unique product of French writer/director/actor Michel Blanc, is a high concept farce. During most showings of this film, smiles and chuckles - - not uncontrollable laughter -- will be in abundance.
One common disclaimer reads: "The names have been changed to protect the innocent." In GROSSE FATIGUE, names are precisely what have not been altered. The personalities portrayed by Blanc, Carole Bouquet, and Philippe Noiret retain the actors' real names. In GROSSE FATIGUE as in life, Blanc is a famous French movie maker/actor. Bouquet is a glamorous actress and Noiret is the suave, cultured man who graced international screens in CINEMA PARADISO and THE POSTMAN. Only a special sort of director would dare take such obvious jabs at his own celebrity status, and part of GROSSE FATIGUE's appeal is that this film plays off egos rather than pandering to them.
As has been expected of satires since THE PLAYER, the movie features several cameos. Actresses Mathilda May and Charlotte Gainsbourg, and director Roman Polanski all make appearances. And, while they never show up in the flesh, icons Gerard Depardieu and Emanuelle Beart are the targets of several verbal ripostes. Yet, even though many of the in-jokes refer to French cinema, familiarity with France and its movies is not mandatory to enjoy GROSSE FATIGUE.
The premise, which demands a fair (but not unreasonable) level of suspended disbelief, postulates what might happen if a famous person had a double, and that double chose to masquerade as the star. In this case, the celebrity victim is Blanc, and the man cashing in on the resemblance is a nobody named Patrick Olivier (also played by Blanc). The impostor is so good that Blanc's relatives and friends (like ex-007 girl Carole Bouquet, who co-starred with Roger Moore in FOR YOUR EYES ONLY) doubt the identity of the true man. By the time Blanc figures out what's going on and decides to take action, it may already be too late.
Blanc has been referred to as France's Woody Allen, and the script for GROSSE FATIGUE is sprinkled with the kind of comedy and insight the New York based film maker is famous for. Although the movie is occasionally hamstrung by technical limitations (a poor score being the most obvious example), superb writing and solid acting make up for the few faults. Thematically, the picture delves into such diverse (and weighty) topics as the nature of fame and personal identity, and the decline of the French film industry in the face of an all-out onslaught from Hollywood.
In the way it toys with reality and fantasy, GROSSE FATIGUE is a fascinating exploration of life as seen through the eyes of a perceptive and humorous director. Blanc never allows his film to degenerate into a series of pointless jokes, but the serious side is also kept at bay. GROSSE FATIGUE is smart in both script and approach, and this makes for a lighthearted ninety minutes where turning off the thinking portions of the brain is not a prerequisite to enjoyment.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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