Il est charmant

"Il Est Charmant" is first an operetta ;there are more songs (and even sung dialogs) than lines ,which almost makes the director a forerunner of Jacques Demy: there's even a scene in which Meg Lemonnier sings a duet with herself (the "Il Est Charmant" song ) like Catherine Deneuve would do in "Peau D'Ane" .

As a Parisian connoisseur wrote me,it's really a good surprise ;this obsolete movie has stood the test of time quite well and I found the songs much less stodgy than those of René Clair's contemporary "Le Million".The screenplay deals with the improbable story of two law students and it features a lot of good humor,puns and even risqué scenes (a topless dancer).They sing about everything ,even the civil code, and in public gardens ,I thought they were going to sing in the rain under their umbrella .

Good scenes: -The student living it up with his bunch of revelers after midnight and learning thanks to a policeman on the street that he's got to take his B.A. at 8 AM.

-Back in his room ,he tries to study but his mind is wandering :he sees girls dance on his desk.

-The oral or how to cheat :the methods are very useful but once again,beware of dogs! -How to turn a notary's office into a nightclub .

Meg Lemonnier and Henri Garat (who married and played opposite Lilian Harvey) teamed up again in " Un Soir De Réveillon" the following year but this time,they were overshadowed by Arletty .