Le Petomane: Parti avec le vent

I laughed so hard I got a nose bleed. (True!)

LE PETOMANE: PARTI AVEC LE VENT does not appear to be a comedy at the start but it did not take long for this reviewer to catch on.

If you hear this story related it sounds highly improbable, but experiencing the story visually, as written, presented and directed by Steve Ochs and a wonderful cast and crew, it is candy for eyes.

Oana Bogdan's masterful recreation of Marseille and Paris just before the opening of the twentieth century, is brought to life richly by the costumes of Ariyela Wald-Cohain, the sensitive and comical score of Kent Karlsson, and the unfailing eye of Bengt Jan Jonsson.

Kevin Scott Allen, gives us a moving portrayal of Dr. Baudouin who narrates his story in all its twisted perversion and Mr. Allen actually manages to make us feel sorry for his character when we learn that the wretched Dr. has contracted a fatal disease.

Ben Wise is quietly outrageous as Le Petomane and his characterization is doubly amusing when one compares his demeanor and his actions. Mr. Wise and Aimee Miles make moving and poignant lovers and Mr. Karlsson never misses an opportunity to render their relationship with appropriate harmonies.

The balance of the cast perform splendidly.

As the story is a visual treat my review will leave it to your personal discovery.

This is one for your MUST SEE list. It left me wanting more.

This short movie looks and feels big budget, but it isn't. The movie is loosely based on the incredible life of Joseph Pujol, Le Pétomane, who starred at the Moulin Rouge over a hundred years ago. I had read a book about Le Pétomane in the middle of the sixties and sometime after I met my wife in 1972, I must have told her about the book. When she read in a newspaper that it was going to be shown at the 2006 Los Angeles Shorts movie Festival, I had to go and she went too. She was prepared to dislike it, but she loved the movie. It has a quality the best movies have. I felt I was a part of the story and immersed in the sights, smells and sounds of France. When you get the chance, see it and be prepared to be charmed by this stranger than fiction movie which is so very well done.

Full of glorious bombast, outrageous French accents, and probably as much accuracy as one can expect from even a serious Hollywood biopic, Le Petomane: Parti avec le vent is brilliant. The score is too big, the shots are too lush, the whole tone is perfect. I've been waiting for a while for someone to find the right way to capture this (true) story. My only complaint is that I would've gladly sat through the full two-hour treatment. Kudos! IMDb has now informed me that a comment must a minimum of 10 lines. So much for Strunk & White and years of studying concise writing. I therefore repeat, see Le Petomane at your earliest convenience. I don't know what the release deal is, but find it or ask your neighborhood cable operator or petition The Academy. It's a mighty fine short film.

This sweet, funny, true story of "Le Petomane" the man who played music out of his derrière was well worth seeing and hopefully owning as a DVD. "Parti" is the perfect flick to bust out at parties while you pass the bean dip & chili.

This film presents a unique form of comedy that is reminiscent of Chaplin in its silliness and heart & soul. You get to see the "human side" of an odd man with an odd ambition.

The story of Le Petomane takes you back to when you were a kid, and you had your first big burst of laughter over your first big blast of gas, then seamlessly fast forwards you to the adult life of uncertainty, and struggle. In the end, gas & love save the day. When life gets serious and significant and we find ourselves alone, that silly blast of gas is a reminder that if you can parlay it into a career--you can triumph over anything!

This is a delightful and informative movie about a talented man woefully overlooked by history. It's beautifully filmed and well acted and scripted. If you like your humor on the sly side, then this is for you. I only had 2 disappointments with this film: #1 - not nearly long enough. I would've LOVED to have had this film follow this fascinating man (and his family & friends) for a much longer period of time. #2 - there were times that, because of the softness of the voices and the heavy french accents, that I missed some of the dialog. Subtitles would've helped. All in all, an entertaining, informative short and a nice way to spend your time.