La Montre, la Croix & la Manière

This is a truly refreshing comedy with offbeat humour and I couldn't help laughing so loudly when I watched it. The main characters in the film are Louis (Bob Hoskins), Sybil (Natasha Richardson) and the pianist (Jeff Goldblum). Photographer Louis (who specialises in religious pictures) is asked by an sick friend to do him a favour- voicing a porno movie. At the studio Louis meets Sybil, who also lends her voice to the same film. Then Sybil tells Louis about a pianist (whose real name remains unknown) she met a couple of years ago, where she worked as a waitress. At a rich girl's birthday party the girl asked Sybil to ask the sad-looking pianist to smile because his facial expression was ruining her party. The girl even gave her an expensive, specially designed watch to Sybil for a smile of the pianist...

The depressed-turned-crazily-jealous pianist attacked a violinist one night for the violinist's attempt to seduce Sybil. He got jailed. Now he's done his time and is coincidentally discovered by Louis and later hired by Louis' supervisor (Norbert, played by Michel Blanc) as the model Jesus Christ. Louis doesn't realise that he's the pianist, Sybil doesn't know Louis and the pianist work together now and the pianist is totally unaware that Louis and Sybil know each other. The psychologically deranged pianist is gradually convinced that he possesses the power of Christ, and seeks revenge when he finds out he's been 'betrayed' by the man who's given him a job and the woman who's driven him 'mad'...

The 'favour' resembles the beginning, the watch is the connection while the 'very big fish' which is purchased by Louis resembles the odd consequences. Funnily acted, funnily filmed, with an eccentricly romantic ending, this movie is quite relaxing and it really makes you laugh. Many, many credits to Jeff Goldblum for his extremely hilarious, magical facial expressions and his acting as the pianist.

Louis Aubinar (Bob Hoskins) is a photographer specializing in pictures of religious figures. He lives in Paris with his oddball sister Elizabeth and her crazier food like grinding up a whole swordfish. He does a favor doing a voice-over job. He is shocked to be dubbing porn beside fellow voice actor Sybil (Natasha Richardson). She confides in him about a depressed pianist (Jeff Goldblum). They worked at a restaurant and a spoiled girl offered Sybil a watch if she makes the pianist act happy. Sybil flirted with the pianist which improved his playing. The restaurant gained respect and then one night, the pianist became jealous of the violinist over Sybil and attacked him. He is taken to prison and now he is being released. Meanwhile Louis is having trouble finding the right Jesus until he sees the rain-soaked pianist in his window without knowing that he's Sybil's pianist.

This is a weird movie. Dubbing porn is hilarious. The rest are strange and lovely. I really only laughed at the porno scenes. The movie is quirky but not outrageous enough to be consistently funny. The energy is a bit on the low end. It needs a faster pace and some more energetic music.

Totally disagree with the four reviewers in the IMDB, obviously grossed out on too many parochial "local" style movies. It is a witty subtle story and one too rare in the style of 'Tati'.

THE FAVOUR, THE WATCH AND THE VERY BIG FISH (3+ outta 4 stars) I hadn't seen this movie for along time but I remember thinking when it first came out that it didn't have much going for it. Seeing it a second time I was really surprised at how much more I liked the oddball storyline. Bob Hoskins plays a nerdy church photographer who is trying to complete a photo series of famous Biblical characters. Unfortunately he hasn't found the right Jesus yet and his boss (Michel Blanc) is putting on the pressure. Filling in for an ailing friend, Hoskins finds himself doing voice-over work for porn movies... where he meets Sybil, the girl of his dreams (Natasha Richardson), in the funniest scene in the movie. Hoskins finally finds the ideal Jesus in a sad-faced homeless man played by Jeff Goldblum... who, after becoming famous playing Jesus, begins to think that he might *really* be. Many, many complications arise... and lots of extremely odd plot twists and bizarre characterizations. The movie definitely does not go where you think it is going to. The actors all do great jobs... and the script is filled with witty one-liners... and even a serious aside or two. Definitely worth checking out if you like unusual movies.

This movie is certainly not everyone's cup of tea. Mine it is, big time. Rarely have I seen a movie that I liked more than this one. I wonder why others don't like it. What is it they don't see that I see? Or is there something that bothers them but not me? The pace is slow, yes, but there are a lot of details and twists to keep me easily entertained. And the pace is certainly faster than in Greenaway's movies. When I saw it the first time, I couldn't wait to see what weird happens next.

The movie is more strange that intellectual. However, I think it cannot be enjoyed by Americans who expect to enjoy a film also (only ?) if they leave their brains home. You might say there is something European in the whole thing.