Tango

Patrice Leconte had a considerable worldwide arthouse hit with his erotic 1992 film "Le Mari De La Coiffeuse", but his follow-up the next year, "Tango", did not get the same kind of distribution/recognition. It's a deadpan, offbeat, and sometimes quite funny black comedy / road movie which, although apparently featherweight, actually has a lot to say about men's conflicted feelings about women (you can't live with them, you can't live without them). In addition to the top-notch three male leads, there is a too-brief appearance by the extraordinarily beautiful Judith Godrèche, and a funny cameo by Jean Rochefort. **1/2 out of 4.

... and I'm sorry I did, because this is one of Leconte's weakest efforts. After Ridicule, The Hairdresser's Husband, Monsieur Hire, Intimate Strangers, you expect only the best from Leconte: here though, with a script that plays like it came out of the bottom drawer, you get only a very lame comedy that the three male leads walk through.

I will say that the cameo by Carole Bouquet is nicely set up and provides the only witty moments. She's daring where Lhermitte is timid, wish there had been a lot more like it. Miou-Miou, whose work I have admired in the past, is here stuck with a poor part as Lhermitte's wife. Michele Laroque is voluptuous and vacuous as Bohringer's wife.

This movie plays along the lines of fidelity as well as the often perceived French attitude towards sex. One of the reasons I watched this was to see for myself how Thierry Lhermitte earned himself a reputation and I was not the least bit disappointed. However, I felt the film tended to drag down after a while and lose its momentum. The most outrageous was perhaps the girl who asked to be impregnated. This is a very "male" kind of movie and is strikingly true I guess for the male population in terms of their attitudes. However I felt that the female voice was lacking and not given an opportunity to express itself. But the ending was marvellous, albeit a long-awaited one.

A far better film than many reviews would suggest, Phillipe Noiret is effortlessly amusing and there is a lovely cameo by Jean Roquefort. However the leading role of the pilot, played by Richard Bohringer was rather blank and unengaged.

There were I thought shades of 'Les Valseuses' evident in the film, which wore a little thin in a what is a far more recent film. Also notable(as another reviewer has mentioned)were some references to the later works of Bunuel;which Carole Bouquets appearance reinforced.

Despite some hilarious and indeed rewarding parts the film remains uneven and many avenues which could have been explored, both to comic and dramatic effect have only been briefly engaged. Sadly I feel this film could have been a real masterpiece but there were too many threads contained in it; none of which were properly explored. The road movie aspect is a film in itself as is the extraordinary relationship between Roquefort and Bouquet, as well as the pilot Bohringers motives, too name but a few threads.

In all an amusing ride, but a slippery one nonetheless, leading to who knows where!

This adorable road move through France is seemingly deeply misogynistic. Except for that it is the exact opposite. Rather, it puts all sorts of masculine hipocracy and some of the very real fears propelling indulgent male behaviour front and center and make sport with them. The film is romantic and possibly one of the funniest things I've ever seen. If you can take an off colour joke...