Der Gefallen, die Uhr und der sehr große Fisch

Totally disagree with the four reviewers in the IMDB, obviously grossed out on too many parochial "local" style movies. It is a witty subtle story and one too rare in the style of 'Tati'.

This is a truly refreshing comedy with offbeat humour and I couldn't help laughing so loudly when I watched it. The main characters in the film are Louis (Bob Hoskins), Sybil (Natasha Richardson) and the pianist (Jeff Goldblum). Photographer Louis (who specialises in religious pictures) is asked by an sick friend to do him a favour- voicing a porno movie. At the studio Louis meets Sybil, who also lends her voice to the same film. Then Sybil tells Louis about a pianist (whose real name remains unknown) she met a couple of years ago, where she worked as a waitress. At a rich girl's birthday party the girl asked Sybil to ask the sad-looking pianist to smile because his facial expression was ruining her party. The girl even gave her an expensive, specially designed watch to Sybil for a smile of the pianist...

The depressed-turned-crazily-jealous pianist attacked a violinist one night for the violinist's attempt to seduce Sybil. He got jailed. Now he's done his time and is coincidentally discovered by Louis and later hired by Louis' supervisor (Norbert, played by Michel Blanc) as the model Jesus Christ. Louis doesn't realise that he's the pianist, Sybil doesn't know Louis and the pianist work together now and the pianist is totally unaware that Louis and Sybil know each other. The psychologically deranged pianist is gradually convinced that he possesses the power of Christ, and seeks revenge when he finds out he's been 'betrayed' by the man who's given him a job and the woman who's driven him 'mad'...

The 'favour' resembles the beginning, the watch is the connection while the 'very big fish' which is purchased by Louis resembles the odd consequences. Funnily acted, funnily filmed, with an eccentricly romantic ending, this movie is quite relaxing and it really makes you laugh. Many, many credits to Jeff Goldblum for his extremely hilarious, magical facial expressions and his acting as the pianist.

This movie is certainly not everyone's cup of tea. Mine it is, big time. Rarely have I seen a movie that I liked more than this one. I wonder why others don't like it. What is it they don't see that I see? Or is there something that bothers them but not me? The pace is slow, yes, but there are a lot of details and twists to keep me easily entertained. And the pace is certainly faster than in Greenaway's movies. When I saw it the first time, I couldn't wait to see what weird happens next.

The movie is more strange that intellectual. However, I think it cannot be enjoyed by Americans who expect to enjoy a film also (only ?) if they leave their brains home. You might say there is something European in the whole thing.

This is a lovely piece of black humor and non sequitur, and I can't believe I never heard of it until a friend showed it to me last night. While it has some parts which are not absolutely necessary, most of it is splendidly daft and macabre, and seems like the sort of thing I would have heard about, considering my taste for such films as Delicatessen, Brazil, Naked Lunch, Repo Man and so on. Why didn't anyone tell me????

I saw this movie when it first came out and really liked it. I recall it didn't do that well, perhaps because the trailer for it was so badly done.

I decided to watch it again, and it's still very entertaining. It starts a little slow but gets nuttier and nuttier as it goes along. Jeff Goldblum is excellent as a volatile pianist and Bob Hoskins quite good as the meek protagonist. The plot is quite ingenious. The movie is quite silly and odd, and I can certainly see it wouldn't appeal to everyone, but for those who like quirky indie films, this is a great bet.