Merci Docteur Rey

This movie is what it is: a silly farce. It's great if you are looking for a light film to while away an evening. If you are looking for deep cinema, give it a pass. If you like whimsical silly films, you'll love it. I got some good laughs out of it, and the plot is certainly unlike any other film I've seen. Jane Birkin was terrific, especially the scene in the doctor's office. I was glad to be introduced to some fresh faces in this film. Diane Wiest was great too. I had not seen her in any recent films and it was nice to see her taking on a different role in a non-traditional film. The various plot lines all tie up at the end. Films with that kind of structure are usually fun to watch as you anticipate each character learning what's really going on. If you like ensemble cast films, you will probably like this one. It has a number of actors in it, some with small but funny parts. Check it out!

I watched this film knowing going in that it was a French Farce with a stellar cast that have become synonymous with Merchant Ivory productions. I was laughing all the way through - its ham in place, camp in others, self deprecating and in many ways a complete parody of what you'd expect from Merchant Ivory.

Andrew Litvack the writer/director has come up with some cracking lines of dialogue on has put all his "low budget" on the screen. He pulls performances out of cast that befits a good comedy. Jane Birkin is neurotically funny, Jerry Hall proves she can act, Vanessa Redgrave is killer with one particular put down line delivered with expert self effacement at a crucial point in the story, Simon Callow does what he does best, Dianne Wiest is incredible as an Opera Diva and when she smokes a j with one of her Parisienne friends I giggle like a stoner, Stanislas Merhar playing her son, is mesmirisingly good looking and typically French in demeanour throughout - extracting some humour just facial expressions alone.

An English speaking film shot in France, directed by an American with some witty French dialogue added to the mix and this film is for all comers - the Merchant Ivory crowd will love the casting, the Opera crowd will love the costumes, the younger crowd will love the plot twists which keep you guessing.

Look out for the funniest visual gag in a movie that I've seen in a good while - it involves a dress that Jane Birkin wears. Its pure Gene Wilder. There's Woody Allenesque moments and a touch of Robert Altman - the use of Paris reminded me of his film Beyond Therapy - another good intelligent comedy. Loved it. Gonna learn French......

My wife and I saw this for the third time at the Miami Gay & Lesbian Festival, although it's not really a "gay" film as some would expect. While it is painted on a backdrop about a gay young man, this is a classic murder comedy in the best European tradition, from a writer/director with a tremendous future. Andrew Litvack has created a fresh, original, funny and mature screenplay and populated it with wonderful onscreen talent guided with a sure and confident hand. What was amazing to me is that every time I have seen this film, I find more wonderful surprises in subtle looks, photos on the wall, costumes, etc. Normally I do not have the patience to sit through a film twice, let alone three times! I will be pleased if offered the opportunity to see it again. It's truly a wonderful film.

This movie is a true original and very entertaining. We have not seen anything like it before and will probably not see anything like it again until the director makes his second film. Very well-acted, handsomely directed and shot, clever use of sets and costumes. Bulle Ogier is as good as in her films by Rivette, Bunuel, Fassbinder, Tanner, Schroeder and the great Werner S. Wiest, Birkin and Merhar are excellent.

Uproarious cameos by Vanessa Redgrave and Jerry Hall. If only Merchant-Ivory (the producers) would take risks like this more often!

This is not the kind of movie that is going to make it to every theatre - it's only playing at one theater in Paris (but the best theatre!) and when I saw it, the show was completely sold out, but still, it's probably too sophisticated for most movie spectators. The excellent review in Le Monde on Decembre 3 (which is the reason I went to see it) said it was a mixture of Ernst Lubitsch and Woody Allen. This is very true - it's light and funny and very intelligent. Go if you can, if not wait for the DVD, but it's really worth seeing it on the big screen.