Ein Käfig voller Narren

"La cage aux folles" is a brilliant comedy. It is the film upon which "Bird Cage" with Robin Williams is featured. One should not miss this classic expose of trans sexual entertainment. The novelty of such sexual innuendos was rare in 1978 when this picture was released. If is followed by an equally funny comedy, "La cage aux folles II", another film to be added to the must see category. One does not even require the translations across the bottom of the screen. One can simply enjoy the artistic perfection of pure cinematic comedy as presented visually. The French subtitles are well adapted. The scenery is clever. The cast is perfect. Don't miss this great comedic success.

I say that exept in a few cases, the original never disapoints. This is a prime example of that. The perfect French comedy about a gay couple, who have a son (It's one of theirs) who is getting married. Since the son's in laws are stuck up rich people, they have to hide they're gayness for one night. Great (anf hilarious) entertainment may have been later re-done, but it can never be mathced. One of the best foreign (and comedic) films ever made. A+

I have fond memories of this film. It played in Boston in 1979--back then I was a closeted high school kid. It played for over a year at a theatre in Boston and I was curious to see why. I somehow got in (the film was R rated and I looked about 14) and loved it! It was funny, uplifting, gay positive and made me realize there is nothing wrong with being gay. Seeing it again over 20 years later it's not as funny or uplifting as it once was but I still enjoyed it.

The plot is old hat and the movie is directed by the numbers but the script has some very funny lines and all the performances are great. Particularly funny are Michel Serrault (as the more feminine gay man) and Michel Galabru (as the minister of moral order). The final dinner party sequence is absolutely hysterical!

Some people have said this film has stereotyped gay characters and that Serrault's constant screaming is annoying. I disagree--I found nothing offensive about the characters (there are gay men like Serrault--I've met them!) and his screaming is actually pretty funny. A very good French farce--well worth seeing. Ignore the R rating--it only has that because of the subject matter (which was pretty risky for 1978). If it were rerated today it would easily get a PG-13.

Skip the two sequels and the Americanized remake "The Birdcage" in which they use the exact same script as the original--with all the same jokes and some bad new ones added in.

A wonderful gallic romp where even the most hardened must surely empathise with the ridiculous predicaments our protagonists weave themselves into. Probably Michel Serrault's greatest role to date, he is ably supported by Ugo Tognazzi. Oozing European style throughout. The American Bird Cage is a very poor imitation.

Absolutely classic French bedroom farce, hilarious from start to finish. Oft-told tale about two gay lovers whose son wants to marry a politician's daughter, and the lover's attempt to straighten out for one night. So far there are two sequels, a musical version, and an inferior American remake ("The Birdcage" with Nathan Lane and Robin Williams), but this is the original, the only, the funniest, the best.

Don't let the subtitles intimidate you, this is hilarious, this is the best, this movie RULES.