À gauche en sortant de l'ascenseur

This is one of the funniest comedies I've seen.

Let's get this part out of the way: There is no reliance on slapstick, no people slipping on carpets or banana peels, no falling, pies thrown on people's faces, etc. There is no disgusting stuff, such as someone eating something dirty, having a condom on their hair, etc. No toiler humor.

The jokes are universal, even with subtitles and being distant from that era, it's still really funny. There is no reliance on pop culture references, current events, etc. which often leads to films losing their humor over time. Yes, Tom Cruise going crazy over Oprah's sofa was funny, but it won't be funny when people don't get the reference 30 years from now. This film doesn't rely on reference, it's funny on its own.

One thing thing that makes this film even funnier is that it's just a comedy. There is no drama, no bigger story. Many modern comedies are dramas with lots of jokes. An example is Knocked Up, which is at the end of the day the story of an unlikely couple getting together to raise a baby. Then there are comedies like 22 Jump Street that have a lot of action.

There is no action here, no drama, just laughs from start to end.

It has a Seinfeldian quality to it, not just that they both look old now, but I could compare this film to Seinfeld's air-conditioner/parking lot episode or the Chinese restaurant episode. There is an absurdist element to it too. It also has that Larry David style of intertwining events. Some comedies, especially road trip formats, offer a series of events, one after the other, but they have no consequence on each other. This one, in Larry David style, has a domino effect. Every event has a consequence on the next, every character interacts with every character and furthers the story.

Finally, this film does remind me of Le Diner de Cons in its style.

I give this film 8.6, rounding up to 9/10 for IMDb. Highly recommended as a comedy.

As usual, Pierre Richard stars with a clumsy, naive, unfortunate character. This time, he's a well-known painter, Yann Ducoudray. He has invited a married woman Florence Arnaud (Fanny Cottencon) to 'visit his workroom'. But, a few minutes before the crucial Rendez-Vous, his beautiful next door neighbour Eva (young Emanuelle Beart) accidentally locked herself outside her flat. Of course, she is half-naked, and ask Yann some help. He refuses, because he's expecting Florence to come very soon, but Eva manages to enter. And then, it's a succession of hilarious situations, with the arrivals of Florence, her unexpected husband Andre, Eva's boyfriend Boris (Richard Bohringer), the police, and many more.

All the actors are perfect, Pierre Richard of course, but also all the others; and don't miss Richard Bohringer as the violent/jealous/depressive/alcoholic boyfriend. A revelation! This movie is not very long, but it's a wonderful comedy. And we get to see Emanuelle Beart almost naked. What more could we ask for? This was at first a successful play (as a lot of good french comedies) and the transposition is excellent. If you like Pierre Richard, or french comedies in general, I think it's one of the best you can find. It has this title ( the american title is the right translation), because 95% of the movie happens in front or inside Yann's flat, located on the left when you leave the elevator.

9/10

This is a most unfunny comedy. Pierre Richard can usually be relied upon for a laugh but here he bombs completely. The same two or three jokes are repeated over and over again. Richard Bohringer is at his most grating and Emmanuelle Beart is wasted. The only redeeming feature is that it only lasts about 80 minutes.

This was the first time I saw Emanuelle Béart, and I have been a fan of her work since then. This is the kind of comedy the french are famous for. Witty dialogue, absurd situations, surprises every few minutes... you get the point. It WILL entertain you.

A good comedy without pretensions. The French are good at making these kind of movies. Pierre Richard is good in his usual goofy type of character. Bohringer, Cottençon and beautiful Emmanuelle Béart also give solid performances. The movie plays like a sitcom with all kind of "loufoque" situations happening along the way. The gun/lighter scene is just hilarious! Bonus: it as a running time of just over 80 minutes. Good comedy by Molinaro. Great for a little comic relief on a rainy or snowy day.

Seen at home, in Toronto, on January 22nd, 2005.

78/100 (**½)