L'animale

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!

This picture hit the movie screens on October 17th 1977 overseas in France. Starring in this film is the beautiful and gorgeous Raquel Welch who plays the role of Jane Gardner and Jean Paul Belmondo who plays the role of Mike Gaucher. The picture opens with Mike climbing the side of a burning building to rescue Jane Gardner from the fire. While talking about there up coming wedding which is the next day the producer remains Mike that the car crash scene is to start at 10am. Jane stands here ground and said no until her and Mike compromise and agrees to get married right after the scene is done. While in the car doing the crash scene for the second time the brakes in the car give out leaving the couple hanging over a bridge. The car gives and goes straight down putting both Mike and Jane in the hospital. With both of them in the same room the Justice of the Piece shows up to marry the couple. However, Jane changes her mind and throws the Minister out of the room. Then she takes a pair of scissors, then pulls her bed over to Mike's and tries to stab him with the scissors. After both Mike and Jane injuries heal Mike still wants to marry Jane but Jane wants nothing to do with the two time loser. After having no work Mike gets a call to go to Paris to do stunt man job for one of the local movie stars. When the stunt woman walks of the set its up to Mike to find a replacement and who's his first choose none other then Jane. So Mike follows Jane to a big party where he tries to convince Jane to work with him on this job or his finished. After running around and acting crazy Jane says yes just to get him away from her. What makes matters worst is Jane decides she going to marry one of the movie directors from Paris. Now Mike has to do anything and everything if he wants to keep Jane to himself. This wasn't a bad movie and if it wasn't for the beauty of Raquel Welch this movie wouldn't even be worth watching. The best seen is where there near the water and Raquel gets her on piece suit wet and she's shows of her beauty with style. I give this picture 10 weasel stars just for that scene alone.

Raquel Welch never was a great actress, and here she does a serviceable job. This was back in the day when you could call gay people derogatory terms, so it's a bit dated, the acting a bit stilted at times, and some of the scenes are not put together that well. But after awhile, the antics and the extreme pranks Welch and Belmondo characters play on each other was enjoyable. They'd be great candidates for a YouTube prank couple. Enjoyable and fun pic

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)

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.