Der Mann, der mir gefällt

This unknown film is a real gem. I wasn't expecting much, since Claude Lelouch has kind of a weak reputation (I do love his version of Les Miserables, though), but, I figured that Jean-Paul Belmondo is always reason enough to see a film. Definitely, he pushes it far beyond what it could have been otherwise, but also helping him is the wonderful performance of Annie Girardot, an actress about whom I know not a thing, and the great but modest direction of Lelouch. The film begins as if it were going to be one of those run-of-the-mill French dramas where married people cheat on each other. After a while, though the two new lovers go on a cross-country trip from L.A. to NYC (although they don't quite make it there in their rented car). What I would compare this film most to is Linklater's Before Sunrise. I give the film an 8/10.

Claude Lelouch has made documentaries: "Loin du Vietnam" was a short in a film made up of sequences by different directors including Agnès Varda;"13 jours en France" was a reporton the Olympic Games of Grenoble 1968 "filmed with virtuosity but without feeling "(Claude Bouliq Mercier).

"Un homme qui me plait" ,although it has a plot -a love affair between two married people (with two generally nice actors:Belmondo and Annie Girardot)who both work on a film and who combine business with pleasure - does not amount to much.I've got the impression that Lelouch was more interested in the U.S.A. than in his tepid trite story.

Belmondo tells it all in one of his lines:"Why make such a film? Rich people in beautiful cars staying in luxury hotels ,who cares?"Pretty smart on his part!

This is a visually stunning road movie. An actor and a composer commence a trip across America, unplanned and on the whim. Interesting dynamic between the two leads, both very successful and confident in their own skins, they finally both meet their match and a romance starts. As with the genre of the road movie eventually it falls apart and both return to their respective realities.

Full of comedy that works, for example the scene where they are pulled over by the police. Even the flights of fancy, when Belmondo becomes an Indian, work very well. Some very interesting reminders of what was acceptable back in the late 60's (the scene in the vegas casino).

Lelouch has been targeted by the critics notably in France. It's unexplainable for me. There are those among the French critics who are extra hard on their own directors and Lelouch having an unmistakable style which often defies the school of thought and also having a career over 40 years is obviously an easy target.

OK, let's get this out of the way - it's dubbed in English and the dubbing is awful - they even dubbed the Americans like Farah Fawcett! Lol, preposterous ...

But, getting past that, the film is quite engaging - the narrative does some nifty intriguing switcheroos in a "play within a play" sort of way that makes you have to pay attention just when you think you've got the story line nailed down - so that's fun.

But the real fun is an iconic - on film, not video - romp across the USA from LA to NY via the Grand Canyon and The Big Easy. Some absolutely fabulous scenes which I won't spoil but you'll know them when you see them.

So, all in all, it's a 1960's era French director filming in America without being burdonsomely snide, which is quite the filmic cocktail in and of itself.

Enjoy!

When two of the greatest French actors of the 60's 70's area meet before Claude Lelouch's eyes, you can experience one of these unique love stories that breaks your heart. Belmondo embodies the French "nouvel vague" and no one will resist Girardot's look and smile through the American landscape of the late sixties.