L'homme orchestre

in essence, nice slice from "70's. atmosphere, songs, dance, relationship. at the first few, a film of Louis de Funes, not real different by many others. but this is its great virtue - a story like pretext, the little tyrannic boss and the young women with plots, secrets, charm, Olivier de Funes in middle of feelings, surprises , using teenager humor, clichés - the Sicilian family - confusion and the clear sky. all the tricks of French cinema. and the same force of seduction. because it is nice, amusing, almost lovely. and because the admiration for the work of de Funes remains at high level. this detail is the most important. and the feeling after the end of film. like delicate flavor of a lost innocent age. so, a good option for relax.

For lovers of this great french comedian this movie is best watched with the remote control in one hand. The story is the typical mix of little choleric Louis (playing the director of an all girl dancing group) who tries to shield them from other men so that the girls won't be distracted from their job. There are a couple of well directed scenes that provide good laughs and Louis delivers the whole range of his facial expressions that alone makes you giggle. However this time the script seems to have lacked enough ideas for a full movie, therefore you will have to sit through plenty of dancing and music and even an almost unbearable singing scene where Louis de Funes sings musical-like. Approx. half of the movie time is being consumed by music, dance and singing only - too much for a comedy.

Therefore my advice: skip those dull scenes with the fast forward of your remote control and have a good laugh at Louis while he is really acting (and not dancing or singing).

This is a rather obscure movie of De Funes even in France in spite of it is one of his best.

What makes the difference is not the comedy because he is as funny as ever but his compassionate side that we don't see very often. This wasn't a surprise because in interviews, you can see that he was a formidable gentleman even having tremendous success. But, there are only a few movies in which he shows his kindness.

Here, it begins with the relation that he shares with his real son in life, Olivier. They are nearly the only men in the movie and they are great together. As a father, De Funes is very attentive and caring. And for sure, the scenes he had with the babies are moving: he is totally sweet!

In addition, the movie is an explosion of colors and it is an amazing collection of how the 70's, the flower power had impacted on France. Except maybe in "Dick Tracy", I haven't seen so much orange, yellow, red, black, blue…

At last, the movie offers a great trip in romantic place: Montecarlo, Roma…

For a movie which is a musical comedy, with dance, songs, music, ballets, I am totally appreciative! Bidibidi-BA!

Those were the seventies, alright. (especially for those like me who only remember them vaguely) Saturated primary colors everywhere, telephones shaped like pyramids or like molten wax, easy chairs that were all but easy to sit on, catchy music, silly lyrics. This movie is as stylized as it can be (short of a Greenaway movie) and provides silly, but stylish entertainment.

Louis de Funès, at 56, shows that he is not only still the explosive comedian we all love, but that he is able to sing (in his way) and that he can even play a convincing chef-de-ballet, able to hold a candle to his female co-stars when it comes to dancing...

And, as another reviewer pointed out, we come to see his softer side as well, in his relationship with his nephew (actually real-life son), "his" girls, "his" babies.

The film benefits much from an excellent all-female dance chorus, and the dance numbers are catchy, and top-notch in their 1970 silliness.

A very uncommon movie if you expect standard LdF fare. Plot is, of course, nonexistent as any de Funès movie, but here we have abundant song and dance numbers, a Babylonian confusion of at least five languages (shadows of Tati's "Play Time", perhaps?), a dancing (!) Louis de Funès, and, as I said, plenty of 1970 design (atrocities, if you want) in brilliant colors, including the girls' costumes, which magically change between scenes.

9/10 all in all. Too many plot holes for a perfect 10, and sadly Olivier de Funès's acting talents, despite his good looks, cannot hold their ground for a lead role against his father. (He wisely chose to pursue a different career after one more movie) Yet, the movie is highly entertaining, stylish and Louis de Funès's acting makes this one his finest.

i saw this movie about a hundred times, under the title Piti Piti Pa as used in Czech or Slovak Republic.

This movie is great for people who have a good sense of humour. Louis De Funes stars in this movie with his son Olivier De Funes who is also a great actor.

This movie is about a group of girl dancers led by a man who doesn't support the girls having men around or getting into any relationship. But on a tour, one of the girls finds out she has a son and out of desperation and fear of the boss telling her off, she uses him and his nephew to get out of it...