Fallait pas!...

"Fallait pas..." is the third comedy by Gérard Jugnot that tries to deal with a serious theme, but he's less successful here than with his previous "Une époque formidable" and "Casque Bleu". Here the target is the sectarian phenomenon, with a precise reference to the "Solar Temple Order" whose members committed mass suicide in France and Canada. Bernard, an executive for a big company, tries to get home in time for his wedding but is caught in the middle of a mass suicide. He saves a sect member (who then follows him like a puppy), and he's chased by the sect leaders, two over-the-top crooks with bloated egos and a craving for money. The parody of sectarian life and mind-control mechanisms is quite funny, but is unfortunately mixed with more conventional sitcom clichés (Bernard's family). However the actors are very good, particularly Yanne, Lamotte and Lhermite as the various flavours of sect leaders, and the movie is eventually redeemed by their performances.