Les fugitifs

There is one thing the Americans are good at: taking a perfectly good French Movie and totally stuffing it up – and they change very little in it as well. This movie is the original French version of what became Three Fugitives, and this movie is by far the better.

What is amazing is that the two movies are almost identical, right down to the scene where the robber has a stocking over his head, and when he removes a pin from a grenade, the stocking melts, but it is done far better in the French movie than it is done in the American.

Basically the movie is about a professional bank robber who is released from gaol and happens to end up in a bank that is held up, and he is taken hostage. Because the police do not trust him, they accuse him of robbing the bank. The third fugitive is a little girl who has not spoken since her mother died.

The basic themes of this movie is about relationships, and how one's actions can destroy the lives of more than one person. Here the bank robber not only upsets his life, but also the life of his little girl and the recently released convict. He believes that by doing this he will help out his little girl, but in the end he ends up hurting her. It is also interesting to see that the convict has a human heart (what else is he going to have?). What I mean is that he acts with a cold and mean demeanor, but in truth he does care for the girl, and the robber who is really just stupid.

This is a cute little film, especially the one made in France. The little girl is just adorable, and her sad demeanor does tear your heart.

I am glad to see, that the rating of the movie stands at an exact 7.0/10, well at the time of writing this review anyway. It is exactly how I feel about the movie. Based on the trailers, I've exepcted an absurd comedy and it is what I got, in the first half anyway. The second half of the movie, while still having it's funny moments, deals more with a parental drama of the strugling single dad who was pushed into the robery.

It might be the case, that with some time to reflect on the movie I might increase the rating, because the later part did give the movie heart. The bottom line is, I did not feel like the movie was excellent when I finished watching it, only OK/pretty good. Having that said I can fully recomend viewing it, while it is indeed a good time.

"The Fugitives" (1986) is the third collaboration of the famous trio composed by Francis Veber, Gérard Depardieu and Pierre Richard, after "Knock on Wood" (1981) and "The ComDads" (1983).

It benefits from all the know-how of this blessed era. Starting with the talent of Francis Veber who, as a complete author, wrote and directed the film, then with the masterful acting performances of Gérard Depardieu, Pierre Richard, the adorable and phenomenal little Anaïs Bret, then 6 years old, as well as Jean Carmet. So many elements that perpetuate all the magic of the French comedy of the 1980s. All set to music with a new sublime soundtrack by Vladimir Cosma.

This film is carried by a tenderness and a humanity that no longer exist today, and only reinforces our nostalgia for a bygone century, where even some convicts could have a big heart.

I'm in complete awe of Francis Veber as both a writer and a director. How he can continue to ring even more changes out of what is essentially a Johnny-one-note idea both amaze and delight. Here he is at it again and, for good measure, adds a soupcon of sensitivity into the mix. Maybe, as a previous commenter has stated, we should just bask in the invention, charm and acting skills on display and not attempt analysis. Depardieu is now, of course, arguably the best-known and best-loved contemporary French actor in the world by virtue, and rightly so, of his unsurpassed range rather than the occasional English-speaking role but Gene Wilder lookalike Pierre Richard is virtually unknown outside France - at least in England - which is sad. Now aged 70 he continues to work - not, alas, with Veber - and as I write is appearing on the Paris stage in a piece which translates to 'Fish Out Of Water', as good a description as any for the inept bank-robber he plays here, basically a nerd desperate to bankroll a cure for his young daughter, rendered mute since witnessing the death of her mother. As luck - or meet-cute scripting - would have it, ex-con Depardieu (he literally left the slammer minutes earlier) is in the bank when Richard holds it up and of all the hostages he COULD pick to help him getaway he picks Depardieu, natch. From then on it's business as usual, two opposites who attract the flics. Replete with both sight gags and verbal wit this is one to cherish. 9/10

When Gérard Depardieu gets released from prison, he vows to go straight. It's a very unlucky break for him when that same day, he's an innocent bystander in a bank robbery. The robber, Pierre Richard, takes a hostage so he can flee the bank, and by sheer coincidence, he takes Gérard. The police think Gérard has taken Pierre hostage, since he's the known criminal, and Gérard's dreams of living the straight-and-narrow go up in flames.

While most of the movie is a very cute comedy, with two different men thrown together and eventually finding common ground and friendship, there's another layer of the movie that's sweet and touching. Pierre has a young daughter, Anaïs Bret, who hasn't spoken since her mother died, and while his actions aren't according to the law, it's easy to see why he does them. She's such a doll, and her loyalty and innocence soften both the leads. There's an adorable scene where Gérard collapses from pain and blood loss after running from the police on an injured leg. He's exposed and unconscious, and little Anaïs runs after him, then sits beside him as a watchdog to make sure no one else hurts him. She stays with him all night, eventually curling up beside him and falling asleep in his arms. After that scene, the audience will wholeheartedly approve of anything the two "fugitives" do because they know they're doing it for her.

I love this movie, because both Gérard and Pierre put their hearts on their sleeves in front of the camera. Tension relies on emotion, and there's plenty of both in this movie. If this sounds good to you but you don't think you can handle the subtitles, there was an American remake in 1989 with Nick Nolte and Martin Short. I loved this version, since Gérard Depardieu is one of my favorite celebrity boyfriends. With his feathery blond hair, his vulnerable eyes, and his sensitive smile, I don't think I've ever seen him looking more gorgeous. I'll probably have to watch the movie again, since I was too busy drooling over him to read every single subtitle.