Oscar

The film that almost killed my friend R-G, from an overdose of laughs, "Oscar" has a special place in my cinema loving mind, not because it is original or something, but because it's so damn good!

The best big screen version of a theatrical play, (Sylvester Stallone didn't do too bad, but when you compare with Louis de Funès you are doomed to loose!) it practically takes place inside a house, during one day. The confusion that is created by a series of misunderstandings, carries you away and makes you feel compassion for the desperation of Louis de Funès, during the breaks you take from laughing, in order to breath.

Sorry for my enthusiasm, but I like this one a lot. I know that opinions vary, but in my opinion, "Oscar" is one of the best comedies ever made, mostly for the amount of funny situations it serves you throughout the entire film.

8)

A cocky and insolent accountant asks his rich boss, a prosperous real estate promoter, for a generous raise… so he can marry a woman… who happens to be the boss' daughter. That's for the starters, now, it gets tricky, if the boss says 'no', the accountant won't give him back a large sum of money he stole from the company. Well, he didn't steal it technically but he took it out of a technicality. This is crazy already but there's more to come. Little does the accountant know that the girl isn't even his boss' daughter, but he already started the wacky chain of events which, one imbroglio leading to another, made the boss' daughter reveal that she's in love with someone… and pregnant. Does she tell the truth? We suspect it is since the happy father's name is "Oscar" but really, it hardly matters, truth is only a matter of perception… and gags.

"Oscar", based on a long-time running play created by Claude Magnier, belongs to the tradition of French screwball comedy, which means, it doesn't have much of plot and anything that should happen must work as a set-up for laughs. How could the film have a plot anyway? The departure it takes is so complicatedly crazy that even the resolutions that come after are not to be taken for granted, some of them even pave the way to crazier and sometimes needlessly complicated situations and other misunderstandings. This is situation comedy elevated to cinematic format. I don't mean this as a criticism, but as a neutral term because this branch of humor fits this unity of location/ time/ story structure, though it doesn't have the edge or wit of other based-on- plays comedies such as "Santa Claus is a Bastard", "Dinner of Schmucks" or "The First Name".

Yet, this is one of the most successful plays in France with a running record of 13 years (and it was produced again in the 2000's) and the reason why it works so much is because it's not about the situation, but about the reaction of one man to all of them: Bertrand Barnier played by Louis de Funès. Once De Funès took the leading role, he never left it and ended up playing it 600 times, it was maybe the role of his lifetime, and people didn't go to see the play but De Funès play in it. De Funès has always been known for his eccentric tantrums, his mimics à la Donald Duck, his tics and his embodiment of this temporary madness called anger by Romans, well, given all the situations he comes through in "Oscar", the fans had their money's worth. The film is a never-ending series of shouting, grimacing. On that level, it can be seen as the consummate De Funès' movie.

Indeed, while the other actors do justice to their parts, honorable mention to Claude Rich as the son-in-law-to-be, Paul Preboist as the butler and the always delightful Claude Gensac as Barnier's wife, De Funès is the pillar of the film. It might sound as a compliment but it is also the film's Achilles' heel because if you're not a fan or if you get rapidly tired of noises and gesticulations, you'll find the experience a bit exhaustive. This is a significant difference between Molinaro and Oury, Oury made movies where De Funès was part of a duo so that the film could be enjoyable on many other levels. In "Oscar", it's a hit-or-miss, and even fans that love De Funès for sentimental reasons might find the film too noisy. Speaking for myself, I couldn't stand the crying noises of the spoiled little daughter, which were worse than nails on a chalkboard, even as an intended effect, it was horrible. Fortunately, they were not overused.

But there are also some great moments and the best is the one where after being insulted in the phone by a man who's supposedly pimply, De Funès goes into a long rant mocking his big nose and spots on his face, without any words, only body language, a plane flying over a face and bombarding it, a nose so big, it become an elastic object, he pulls it, he even mimics the struggle to pull it, he steps on it, it misses and hits his face, then he pulls it again and blows in it, until his face explodes. This is all done with an invisible form that becomes, in the hand of the master, a prop of his comedic genius, contributing to one of the funniest French comedy moments. At the end, he just lies down and there's a silent moment as if Molinaro gave a little time for the viewers, and for the actor, to catch their breath. This little touch works like a magnificent punch line.

De Funès improvised this moment during the play and each new day, each day inventing a new visual gag, and you could hear the roaring laughter in the audience. Maybe this is what lacks in "Oscar", as the result might feel a bit too stagy but this scene is the culmination of De Funès' talent, one that ended up affecting his health and causing a heart attack in 1975, forcing him to go for quieter roles, different from "Oscar". But "Oscar" is still the best illustration to what made De Funès so great, a unique talent that made Oury say he was like a violin player and the violin himself, De Funès translated the situations into laughs through his acting, but he was also, as a body and a face, the instrument of his own laughs.

To see "Oscar" is to understand what made De Funès one of the best comic actors ever, he could carry alone a whole movie.

Neurotic and depressed businessman : Louis De Funes receives a visit from his own company , an office clerk : Claude Rich asking him for marrrying his beautiful daughter . But Funes wants to find the right husband for his pregnant daughter.

The storyline is sharp , if formulaic but the movie suffers from being extremely stagy . This amusing farce results to be a stunning comedy in screwball style , with a number of messes , misunderstandings, disorder , confusion , breathless set-pieces , though with no sexual tension . A family film without vulgarity , but clean, plain and simple humor . The centre of this deliciously convoluted comedy plot involves mislaid suitcases and never-laid suitors . Here stands out the magnificent Louis De Funes, as always he's a total show , as he puts strange gestures, twisted faces , mimes, and lots of gesticulation . Funes got his greatest hits in the Sainz Tropez Gendarme series , including as follows : the first "Le Gendarme de Saint Tropez" 1964 , "Gendarme in New York" , "Gendarmes and the creatures of outer space" , "Gendarme in Balade" , "Gendarme and the Gendarmettes" . Being accompanied by Claude Gensac who collaborated in five movies as Funes' wife . Along with likeable secondaries as Mario David, Paul Preboist , Roger Van Hool , among others . It had an American remake in 1991 by John Landis with miscast Sylvester Stallone , Ornella Muti , Kirk Douglas , Peter Riegert , Vincent Spano , Marisa Tomei .

The motion picture was competently directed by Edouard Molinaro who orchestrates the action with military precision, injecting life into the proceedings . Molinaro was a good French filmmaker who directed all kinds of genres with penchant for Comedy , as he made "Beaumarchais the Scoundrel", "Just the Way You are" , "Dracula Father and Son" , "Ravishing Idiot ," Back to the Visit" and his big hit : "La Cage Aux Follies" that had an American remake as well . Rating : 7/10 . This is one of the best Louis De Funes vehicles , giving a real recital in his peculiar style . If you like Funes' overacting , you'll enjoy this one. Better than average . Well worth seeing .

The script is stuffed with manipulations, lies, surprises and dumb characters so it's nearly one laugh guaranteed with every lines! To keep your pleasure, i wouldn't tell more, above all it is very complicated to resume!

I had the pleasure to see 3 versions of this story: one with "Sly" Stallone, another with Bernard Tapie (ex-president of the biggest football club in France, ex-Minister, ex-prisoner and now actor) and this one with De Funès.This latter, even being the oldest stays the best and for a long time, I think!

When people say De Funès knows only to make faces, I would recommend watching "Oscar" wide eyes open! Louis excels with his tone, his energy and his reactions. If he plays again and always a Machiavellian bad guy, for me, he shows a lot of humanity and a big heart!

That's the only problem with De Funes: as his movies built my childhood, I confused his real kindness with his characters: in other words, he makes me happy so he inspired me. But as his embodies bad guys, vile boss and hypocritical, I copy that and never have his success. Everybody was taken my words for real!

De Funès should have won an Oscar for this "Oscar"!

This is one of my favorites since I've watched it for the first time as a kid. It's a typical french comedy from the 60's era. You can watch the movie several times and it is still funny; it makes you dizzy trying to find out in which of the several black suit cases the money, the jewelry or the lingerie is...and it's a treat to watch Louis de Funes trying to make sense of all the confusion. And his nervous breakdown in the middle of the film wrote movie history. The supporting cast is equally funny, just watch out for the masseur! Don't waste your time with the remake by John Landis with Sylvester Stallone in the leading role, go for the original one.