Joyeuses Pâques

Similarly to my fellow citizen, I also find it rather peculiar, that out of six comments on this film, four (and from now on five) have been written by Hungarians. It is also strange to see, that the other two reviewers (from Germany) claim that this movie is rubbish. It would be really fascinating to read a french viewer's opinion, since that is the original language of "Joyeuses Paques". So should someone from France, who also has seen the film read these lines, please impart your impressions. The fact that there is such a gap between the German and Hungarian opinions, gives rise to much controversy. Is this a good film or a bad one? Is this really one of the funniest roles of Belmondo (according to the Hungarian view), or is his acting merely barnstorming (according to the German view)? First and foremost I have to admit that I, as a Hungarian utterly enjoy the movie every time I see it. I have to watch it every Easter time, and as it was mentioned by others people really know some lines by heart from this film. My family is rolling with laughter whenever this piece of art is on TV. I bought it on DVD this spring, and we've seen it about five times since then. Belmondo is brilliant. When I first read the German reviews, I thought they were writing about another movie. Although I have to agree, that the scene with the boat in the beginning is ridiculous, the dialogues compensate for mistakes like that. Every sentence is a comedy treasure in this film. I started to think when I realized the huge chasm between the two nations' opinions. Is it possible that in Hungary we generally have such a "jerkish" :-) sense of humor that we laugh at things which normal people find pitiful and ridiculous? Or is it the Germans who don't have a sense of humor at all? None of these statements can be true, and I also find it impossible that there could be such a large cultural difference between the two nations. Having considered most aspects of this "mystery", I have to agree that the key must be the Hungarian dubbing. The Hungarian script is extremely witty (translated by Pataricza Eszter who is one of our best movie translators). Sztankay István (who was dubbing Bébel in this film) is by far the best Hungarian voice for Belmondo (apart from Garas Dezső, who was his voice in Le Professionnel). Sztankay in the Hungarian version is over-the-top, killer-diller, über-funny. The seductive sexy tone of Almási Éva accompanying the acting of Marie Laforět is beyond comprehension, and the young Götz Anna is also charming as the young Sophie Marceau. So if you don't like this film, just watch it in Hungarian... :-D

P.S.: I am really looking forward to reading some french comments on this movie, so come on French, hurry up and write a few lines.

A hilariously inveterate womanizer (Jean-Paul Belmondo) drops his wife (Marie Laforet)off at the airport so she can go away for Easter weekend. He immediately picks up a young woman (Sophie Marceau), who has just had a fight with her married boyfriend. He gets her back to his apartment and is preparing for a long weekend of hot stranger sex, but then his wife suddenly returns, and he has to make up a spur-of-the-moment story of the young girl being his long-lost daughter. The girl plays along, but this leads to a whole series of increasingly ridiculous lies and comical situations (such as when her real mother shows up).

This is an old-fashioned European comedy that tends to differ from more modern Hollywood comedies in that the protagonist does not have to be sympathetic, but can be a philandering cad or hypocritical blow-hard. Belmondo though, a legend in French movies since his seminal appearance in Godard's "Breathless", does make his character quite charming, even though he's a chronically philandering cad who tells one bald-faced lie after another. Marie Laforet is also good as his wife, who keeps a good poker-face throughout, so you're never sure how much, if any, of his ridiculous stories she is actually buying, or whether she is just torturing him for her own amusement. Sophie Marceau shows off her spectacular, nubile breasts quite a bit (mostly just to tease her lecherous much older suitor), but she also easily goes toe-to-toe with Belmondo acting-wise (as she would the next year with Gerard Depardieu in "Police"), which is pretty impressive for an actress who (if IMDb dates can be believed) was only 17 or 18 at the time.

Continental European movies at that time really specialized in wild car chase scenes that would make Hal Needham hang his head in shame, so there are a number of those kind of shoe-horned into the plot as well. Still, all the zany situations, bare breasts, and car chase footage serve to speed this comedy along, making it a pretty fun ride even it's pretty much as light as a soufflé and about as substantial. I actually kind of miss comedies like this, compared to the ones today where the main character always has to be likable (even when is he is played by Adam Sandler) and invariably falls in love and/or learns a moral lesson by the end. I suppose these old-fashioned European movies could be considered more "sexist" (as opposed to, say, "Just Go with It" and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry"), but I don't personally buy that as even the young girl here is far more clever than the buffoonish male. This movie is mostly just a lot of harmless fun.

The film doesn't have a great script. All rely on the personal charm of Jean-Paul Belmondo, great and funny, as usual. A very young Sophie Marceau is also very charming and efficient. A not so young Marie Laforêt does what she can. Rosy Varte the same, even better, in a smaller role than Laforêt. Gérard Hernandez, small role too, the waiter from the Indian restaurant, is funny too. The music by Philippe Sarde is not great. Without Belmondo, with any other actor as the character Stephane Margelle, the film will be boring without shudder, without a charm. Jean-Paul fills the screen, he is the salt and the pepper.

Belmondo is one of the greatest movie-actors all time. He is very good in drama, in action, and also in comedy. His character is always exciting and his charm climb down from the screen. I think, every man want to be a little bit Belmondo, and every women want to own a little bit Belmondo. Now, in this role, he is Stephan, the man, how loves woman. Loves his woman, his wife, but loves every beautiful girl all over the world. More girls, than day. But there is one rule: don't take home the chick.

Once, when his wife fly away, he violate the rule. Met Sophie Marceau, and take the beautiful young girl home. But before the action comes funny noise from the elevator. Belmondo: this is my wife, this is my wife, the elevator has a specific noise, when came my wife. And what can a man do, when there is a young girl in home, and the wife comes home. Belmondo: this is. this is. this is my. daughter. And here begin one of the funniest, greatest french comedy all time, with memorable moments. I offer this movie everyone, who want to laugh a lot. Great points, great Belmondo, sexy Marceau, sexy wife. Have fun!

Perfect! Are there only two fans of this movie? Unbelievable! I think, this is one of Belmondo's greatest act. We can see, that he played in several plays. IN THEATRE!!! The story is usual but it's not a problem! Maybe the 5.4 is for the theatrical scenes. I enjoyed each word of the film. This movie is a glorious victory of the European film. Williams is good. Carrey is great. But drama was born in Europe.( Actually, only a European actor can play this role.) Belmondo is perfect, Laforet is perfect, Marceau is not so perfect but we love her since La Boom. An easy entertainment, you must watch it! And then you'll know it's script by heart. PS: sorry for my "Hungarian English"