L'animal

An attractive movie dealing with good-for-nothing stuntman Mike Gaucher , nicely played by Jean Paul Belmondo , whose death-defying job interferes with his love life , Raquel Welch . What ever shall he do ? . Meantime, he works as a disguised King Kong for a promotion in a supermarket , but he winds up destroying some food shelves . While Welch , his ex-fiancée plays a stuntwoman who wants him out and the film studios don't wish to give him any more work . Then along comes the foppish actor called Bruno Ferrari : Jean-Paul Belmondo as well . But Ferrari results to be afraid of heights once his feet leave the ground . So a stuntman is needed to do the dangerous scenes . And the man who looks exactly like to him turns out to be Mike, then a director : Aldo Maccione hires him to make the risked action set pieces .

A fun as well as extravagant comedy adventure concerning crazy misadventures of a dating duo of movie stunt professionals in France with full of turbulent action , fast paced , romance and farcical events . It has a lot of stunts , in fact Belmondo himself did his own stunts, being well accompanied by the always gorgeous Raquel Welch . This was a decent and brilliant Claude Zidi film, but neither extraordinary , nor notable , but an acceptable and passable time-passer . It's a very well designed piece which is filled with subtle characterizations , a love story , action , and brief bits of humor and irony . These elements are efficiently and compellingly blended by Claude Zidi , a director of great quality . Including a splendid protagonist , Belmondo in a double role, who along the way gets flirty with the wonderful and popular American actress Raquel Welch . To compete the big boxoffice James Bond movies by the time , Belmondo made this picture that had a big hit , as well . Cast is frankly well , as Jean Paul Belmondo who gives a sympathetic and enjoyable acting , as usual , as a fearless stuntman who embarks the feat to reconquest his sweetheart and as a gay actor .He is pretty good as the young who can't do one single job without something going wrong . Belmondo was at the peak of his international fame , by the time he played his best titles . A worthy companion piece to "That Man from Rio" and ¨Chinese Adventures in China ¨directed by Philippe Brocca and starred by Belmondo , both of them were the French highest films of the years 1964 and 1965 , respectively . Belmondo had a prestigious national and international career , playing all kinds of genres , outstanding in thrillers : "Incorregible" , "Hunter Will Get You" , "Stravinsky", "Borsalino" , "Le Professional", "Sicilian Clan" , "Hold-up" , "Mississippi Mermaid" and Adventures : "Cartouche" , "Le Magnifique" , "Ace of Aces", "Happy Easter" , among others . Belmondo is perfectly adequate to their roles , providing two very fun and enjoyable performances , both a valiant stuntman and an effeminate actor . Support cast is pretty good , such as : Aldo Maccione , Dany Saval , Didier Flamand, Henry Attal and brief appearances from Jane Birkin , Johnny Hallyday and Claude Chabrol.

The film displays an engrossing and adequate cinematography by prestigious camera operator Claude Renoir , Jean Renoir's son. As well as a lively and atmospheric musical score by Vladimir Cosma .The motion picture was professionally directed by Claude Zidi , it was a big hit ; in fact , Zidi got him the nickname "Mr. Box Office". He's one of the most successfully commercial directors of France with smash comedy hits as the Charlots , Les Sous-Doués , Les Ripoux series and usually played by the best French actors . On the other hand the few non-comedies he made turned out to be big flops . Also made the first Asterix and Obelix movie : ¨Asterix and Obelix against Cesar¨, and other notorious movies as ¨The Wing or The Thigh?¨with Louis de Funes, ¨My New Partner¨ with Philppe Noiret, ¨Deux¨with Gérard Depardieu , ¨La totale !¨ with Thierry Lhermitte , Miou-Miou and ¨Banzai¨ with Coluche, among others. Raing : 6.5/10 . The flick will appeal to Jean Paul Belmondo and Raquel Welch fans.

Watchable little slapstick comedy about a stuntman (Belmondo), his stuntwoman girlfriend (Welch), how the film industry treats them, how they get by when out of a job, etc. Belmondo plays a double role, as a gay movie star and his look-a-like stunt double. He apparently has enormous fun playing both of them completely over the top (as the character of the film demands). For my taste though, his stunt character demands a bit too much love and attention from the audience; we are supposed to route for him getting the girl etc. and I found this somewhat patronising.

The film is at its best in moments of fast and furious comedy, for example a memorable scene has Belmondo creating havoc while wearing a Gorilla suit. However, these moments leave Raquel Welch (who looks fantastic in a wet blouse) a bit on the sidelines: slapstick is not quite her metier.

One of the greatest films about moviemaking ever. Hundreds of extras running and fighting, a stuntman is jumping and falling down a 30 meter staircase again and again, getting hurt more and more, while the director is only worried about entertaining his leading role superstar bruno ferrari (what a name!), who's performance is getting worse and worse. And after take 15 the 1st AD whispers 'Dont you think take 1 was great, and if you want, you can mix it with take 3', and the director yells 'Okay, let's have lunch!

'L'animal', made in 1977, is a film shrouded in stardust. The director is Claude Zidi, one of the most famous French authors of popular comedies, who is also the co-author of the screenplay whose dialogues are written by the legendary Michel Audiard. The music is composed by Vladimir Cosma and the cast includes famous actors and a director in cameo roles. The main attraction, however, was the presence in the main roles of Jean-Paul Belmondo and Raquel Welch. This was then, and is still today, the main reason why it is worth watching or re-watching 'L'animal'.

We are dealing with a film about people who make films, proof that not only in Hollywood are filmmakers in love and fascinated by their own profession. Mike and Jane are a pair of stunt doubles for Johnny Hallyday and Jane Birkin in a film by Claude Chabrol. They are scheduled to be married at noon, which leaves them enough time for a car stunt at 10AM. The car's brakes fail and the day ends in the hospital, with the two in casts and bandages. Jane, furious, says NO to the mayor brought to the hospital to officiate the marriage. A few months later, Jane has found a wealthy aristocrat who would like to marry her while Mike has not given up on persuading Jane to marry him, but in the absence of work he is forced to defraud welfare by claiming that has seven children (or maybe nine) and to dress up as a gorilla for supermarket adverts. The two's chance comes when their services are requested for a film starring Bruno Ferrari, a star who claims to perform his own stunts. In reality, not only does he suffer from vertigo, but he's also gay. The troubles only start here.

Belmondo's admirers cannot miss the opportunity to see their idol again in a sparkling double role, with a fearful and gay actor as one of the appearances. Raquel Welch is brilliantly sexy and very likable. The two carry the film, which otherwise has a rather banal plot, in which the biggest surprise is that there are no surprises. However, there is one more important aspect that cannot be omitted. Unlike the film's hero, Belmondo actually was performing most of his stunts himself, and he did so in 'L'animal', in which he fulfilled one of his childhood dreams - making a scene where he stands on the wings of an airplane in flight. No insurance company agreed to insure him for this scene. He did it at his own peril, and we have it captured as it happened on film. Another reason not to bypass it.

As he had already proved in other films, Jean Paul Belmondo is possibly the closest European equivalent to Jackie Chan in terms of the stunts and acrobatics he is willing to do (another candidate: Terence Hill). In "L'Animal" he is in peak form and takes some life-threatening risks (including standing on the top of a flying bi-plane!), and, playing two different characters (a stuntman, brave but with a knack for screwing things up, and a movie star, popular, spoiled and gay), he shows his comic talents as well. Raquel Welch does her share of physical stuff, and, needless to say, she is a total babe. This is not a great comedy by any means, and you'll find no substance whatsoever here, but it's still enjoyable enough, especially if you like the two leads. (**1/2)