Gli allegri veterani

I saw this on French TV about a year ago - a great ensemble performance by 3 of the best (though aged) French actors hamming it up - kind of the outcasts of their little town due to general crochetiness (especially a destructive rampage by Gabin at a dance hall). The most memorable scene finds them lost in open country, where an unreadable signpost is discovered. Much arguing ensues. Much wine is also consumed on the way to their final rest...home.

A lot of Jean Gabin films are coming out on DVD these days. The actor certainly made some of the greatest french films of all time (La grande illusion, La bête humaine, Touchez pas au grisbi, Quai des brumes, etc.) but this film is one of his very worst. The most annoying thing here is how often the three main characters shout at each other. Not only are their dialogs not really that funny but all three actors have to say their lines with a thick countryman accent that makes them even uglier to listen to. Jean Gabin was a very faithful actor when it came to working with certain directors but obviously Gilles Grangier was no Jean Renoir and, as for most of Gabin and Grangier collaborations, you can surely skip this turkey!

More like an inside joke for French audience, this movie would have limited appeal to a North American audience.