Papy fait de la résistance

1983 started sadly for French cinema, the heart of Louis de Funès, that was endlessly pumped of a manic energy that enchanted kids and adults for thirty years, succumbed to a fatal stroke. After Fernandel and Bourvil, his death closed the most glorious chapter of French comedy.

But laughs didn't stop for all that, and left the door open for the new generation. And the most emblematic group of this comical New Wave was the 'Splendid' actor's troop (from the name of the café-theater they started in), with such names as Clavier, Jugnot, Balasko, Lhermitte, they would define a new brand of French comedy, based on realistic humor and the elevation of losers and outcasts to the rank of pop-culture icons. And in 1983, they had already competed with De Funès on the box-office field (and honorably lost).

The Splendid Troop made the 'French Fried Vacation" series, with a first opus set in Club Med, and the second in the mountain, then they would make the hilarious "Santa Claus is a Bastard", a magnificent satire about Christmas spirit and its unlikely mixing with loneliness, poverty and depression. After Patrice Leconte, this third movie would be directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, another significant name of French comedy, and the result was such a success that they teamed-up the year after, and for another classic set during the darkest hours of French history: "Gramps is in the Resistance".

But if anything, "Gramps" is a story of a missed opportunity, the film was supposed to feature De Funès. What a splendid tribute to the old generation, and a touching torch- passing moment it would have been had fate not decided otherwise, and this is why the film opens with these beautiful words: … to Louis de Funès. And as a fitting homage, many actors who worked with him were cast in the film. From Jean Carmet who plays the heroic father to Jacqueline Maillan who plays his wife, the great operatic singer Héléna Bourdelle aka "La Bourdelle" and even Julien Guiomar who played his eternal rival Tricatel in "Breast or Leg?".

The casting doesn't waste any character and reminds of another star-studded and cameo-filled WWII film: "Is Paris Burning?", the tag-line even says tat the film cost more than the landing on Omaha Beach. But there's more in the film than a simple spot-the-star game. You never feel it forced or useless, the story is remarkably multi-layered until a grand finale reassemble all the pieces of the puzzle, and each actor plays his part remarkably without trying to steal the show. And the writing doesn't indulge to cheap gags, some parts make you smile, not laugh, but their purpose is to expose characters and their personalities. At the end, you genuinely care for them, hell, you even feel sorry for the traitor.

But the heart of the story lies within this Bourdelle family. The father dies early in the film, but since he dies from the first gag, it's rather late, but it's so funny it was worth it. That's the secret of the writing, there are no five minutes without a funny moment and your patience is always rewarded. The daughter of La Bourdelle is Bernadette, a violinist played by Dominique Lavanant, she's a fervent fan of De Gaulle, and she's engaged, not so passionately, to the Bourdelles' tenant, Michel Taupin, played by Christian Clavier, a nerdy guy who fails to exude the resistant vibes. And then there's Grampa played by De Funès' long-life accomplice, Michel Galabru, an ex-doctor and WWI veteran, who behaves like a modern version of Abe Simpson.

To complete the family picture, there's Martin Lamotte as the effeminate hairdresser whose flaming and sassy mannerisms are so over-the-top that they work as the perfect cover for his real identity. It's even more crucial since the family live in the opera back-rooms when General Herman Spontz became the new resident. Roland Giraud is the General, and surprisingly, doesn't act like a typical movie Nazi, he's fond on Bernadette and his charm operates so efficiently the contradiction becomes interesting. We're not dealing exactly with a movie that expose things in black and white.

This attitude from the writers contributes to one of the film's best running gag; Jugnot as Adolfo Ramirez, the collaborator so zealous to please the Kommandantur, so eager to scream a hilarious "Heil" with his high-pitched voice that he inspires the Nazis more contempt and suspicion than sympathy. At the end, he's the one being arrested although he's only trying to help 'Ze Germans". This character illustrates the absurdity of a war where French people acted more Germanly than Germans. And Jugnot was born to play this part, with his average guy physique, mustache and bald head, he magnificently turns into derision his ungrateful traits.

The film takes you from a poignant scene with fighters about to be shot (Giraudeau in the shorter role of the film) to savior named Super Resistant, a sort of Arsène Lupin like figure who's one of the film's best inventions. It climaxes with the last-minute performance of Jacques Villeret as Hitler's brother-in-law Maréchal Van Apfelstrudel, who gives an unforgettable musical moment, one that would carry some strange nostalgic, almost sad, resonance. As if the film was as pivotal for French comedy as its setting for French history.

And if you love comedies because they catch you off-guard, then get ready for a superb twist. I won't spoil it but let's say it's one of these masterstrokes that proved that there was more intelligence under the parody facade. Collaboration or resistance is one of France's most painful memories and from the way it is questioned, even mocked, earned "Gramps is in the Resistance" its significance in French Cinema.

Speaking of which, 1983 might have had a sorry start but the film was the best way to pay tribute to De Funès, the "Gramps" of Comedy.

It is never as good as "La grande vadrouille". Some scenes are funny, others just too dumb. Why do German officers talk in French (with a wrong German accent) among them ? They have an impressive cast, but that's pretty much all this French comedy about the German invasion has to offer.

A stellar cast. A French comedy that actually makes you laugh. Politically incorrect. Could it be better?

Yes, definitely yes. I felt since the beginning that this film was made by either a deranged mind or by a film student. The plot is erratic at best, it needs some heavy "editing". It'd never survived a "studio", for good and bad reasons. It's an original take on the French "resistance", although following all the clichés (the dumb Germans/ "Boches") follow 2 stereotypes: a) cultivated, full of mannerisms (a good Roland Giraud) and b) fat ugly dumb characters (Jacques Villeret, who has acted like God on "Diner des cons" and "Les Enfants du Marais") (Gérard Jugnot, who did well in a small role at "Bronzés 3"). The prejudices on gays and foreigners, like Ramírez (let alone Germans, but that's natural given the "genre").

What really puzzled me was the last "act". Very "Theatre in theatre", I think that, hadn't it been there, the audience would have appreciated. But playing mind games, acting well and pretending to be witty must have allured them to make one take too many.

A film with Brialy and Balasko in very secondary roles has to be perfect or it's a failure. This is not exactly perfect... Michel Blanc (!), a dazzling Dominique Lavanant (Soeur Therese)... there's not one actor who cannot star a good film.

Lhermitte as a Nazi is funny if peculiar, Yanne as a collaborationist is just one of the sour role we know he does so well.

Jacques Villeret did the scene I liked most, his musical "numero" of Von Apfelstrudel (!)'s feelings. Perfect (and very funny!). Look at the "coreography" with Nazi soldiers moving like starlets :).

I'm glad I saw this film, I think it's rather "corageous" in some of its aesthetic decisions, but wouldn't recommend it without knowing the audience's tastes!

This was one of the best comedy i saw in France. The plot itself is not really new but the development is quite funny. "Super Résistant" is the new Batman and the end of the movie, which is about a very well known show in France (Les Dossiers de l'Ecran) was funny enough to let most of the people who saw the film for the first time on TV really amazed. The German accent, be it real or not, is just for the fun, playing with words and giving lot of crucial sentences to remember to joke on german among friends. In any way, this movie is not to be compared with "La Grande Vadrouille" unless you want to compare movies together only because they are based in same timeline.

Why compare a movie that portrays the french resistance as "heroique" to one that actually prints a slightly different version of things. Both comedies yes! But PFDLR is hilarious in filming the antics of Superresistant (a good nick at the american superhero myth), the gay hairdresser son of a bourgeois family, who lives a double life a nazi nightmare tormentor! The whole set is so modern in the description of the class society, with the bourgeois (The bourdelle family, especially 'high class' hilarious Jacqueline Maillan), the middle class (Taupin the countryside teacher who moves up to Paris and will end up a minister), and of course the working class(Jealous collaborator Ramirez, former cleaner at the opera house, interpreted by the hilarious Gerard Gugnot). This is so cruel, funny and brilliantly acted by the best ever gathered troop of french comedians!!! JM Poire has not always done good taste and truly humorous movies, but this one stands out as Top of The Crop, in my opinion. All is cliche, I don't know if all the subtleties can really be well understood abroad, but the only people this film should offend are the french!!! It is utterly politically incorrect and self deprecating, which "la Grande Vadrouille" was certainly never meant to be!!! An all time top 5 funniest comedy in my personal top comedy list!