Louis und seine außerirdischen Kohlköpfe

I remember being in France in 1981 and being taken to see this film which I found totally stupid as concerns the script. The years have passed and due to regular showings on TV here I have become gradually attached to the film. The film has acquired a sort of value with its ageing which was not apparent at the time it came out. It should be pointed out that the film is set in " Le Bourbonnais ", an isolated area in central France near to Montluçon, in the Allier Department. The local inhabitants are portrayed as " country bumpkins " eating cabbage soup and farting all the time. The arrival of an alien ( Jacques Villeret - quite a famous actor in France today ) from the planet of Oxo ( is it a play on words with the English beef-stock product ? )who takes a liking to cabbage soup will change the lives of these two " gentlemen ". I'm not saying it's a work of art but it is definitely not as bad as reputed when first released. In addition to that the film music is quite a catchy tune and readily available on CD. So all in all, without going over the top, I would say the film has its place in

French cinematic history. I am not sure, however, whether it would have any success outside France. Is it known elsewhere under another title which I suppose would be " Cabbage Soup " ???

When I first saw it a few years ago, I have been deeply moved by this movie. Now I don't find it so striking, but when I reconsider it its humanity still remains. The clue is to love the characters, and then you would look sympathetically even to the stupid farting recital. The two old friends are in fact so kind at heart, striving to remain merry and hopeful, though are gradually deprived of every gift of life (youth, wife, wealth, other friends etc)! The merit of this movie is to speak in a simple way about big, sad issues. "Comedy is acting optimistic" (Robin Williams). On the plus side, one should add the great performance of the two leading actors, the jolly "accent du Midi", a too short cameo by Claude Gensac, and first of all the bitter-sweet, child-like and almost unreal solution to the loneliness of the two old men. On the minus side, a bit of a hurry sometimes, and especially the total lack of skill and motivation from the actress playing Claude's wife, ruining an important and rather unbelievable character.

The best De Funes film, quite different from the usual bulk.

Non french people may feel very disoriented by this movie... Its dialogs and background refer to a scaring rural France which disappeared a long time ago. Dialogs sound dumb ? There are... Character look ridiculous ? They are... The story is a nonsense ? sure. So, what makes this movie so interesting and well known in french cinema history ? well, as i said in the title it is a very rare tale about friendship, and also loneliness and fate. The two protagonists are old poor isolated countrymen close to death. They have lost everything (love, youth, illusions, hope) but themselves and their friendship. The world has changed too much... The movie was released as a stupid comedy (it has this reputation anyway). But it is a very sad movie and i often saw people crying during the film.

This comedy is a lot different from most other de Funès comedies in that it's very straightforward, there are few misunderstandings or complications, there's little of the choleric de Funès we know. Instead, at the heart of this film, there are two dotards leading their simple day-to-day lives and eating cabbage soup while waiting for their demise. Their quiet life is only endangered by the expanding city in the background.

When they unintentionally catch the attention of a cabbage-hungry alien, excitement ensues, friendships get adjusted, and of course there's a happy "ending". What makes this very simple story so fun to watch are the three main actors, they're so adorable you could watch them an hour longer without ever getting bored I think.

"La soupe aux choux" is more than all things, the story of the sincere friendship between two old men. Besides and in spite of rough discussions between them, this friendship remains complete and always sincere. It's necessary to precise that these old men are not farmers, but peasants, one was a well-sinker, the other a maker of sabots. It's also a mistake to believe that peasants are some resistant to change; this kind of mentality comes from old age, and it's true for everybody.

The beauty of that film comes before all from the greay quality of the actors and of their interpretation. And it's true not only for Louis de Funès, but also for Jean Carmet and Jacques Villeret. It's surely because of the quality of the direction of Jean Girauld, on the one hand and the dragging of the quality of play of that tremendous actor who was Louis de Funès on the other hand.

I have seen that film about fifty times at least, and I feel the need to see it again about three to four times a year. Each time I like it and never find it vulgar, because it's necessary to be highter than the apparent vulgarity of certain scenes. Never forget that everyone can, at a time in his life do some scenes like these, and we should not feel ashamed to do that, it's all and completely human. It's precisely what the film is, very human, and it explains the attachment we have for it. Even if the film is a little budget one, it's one of the best of that great actor who was Louis de Funès.