Merci Docteur Rey

With a cast this good--and diverse--and a director who may not know how (or care) to produce standard comedy effects but clearly understands how to give good performers their best chance, MERCI DOCTEUR REY will probably become one of those movies that 10 per cent of us call classic and the other 90 loathe. Count me among the 10.

A low-key paean to the delights of narcissism and diva-dom and a clever rap on the knuckles of sloppy psychotherapy, "Merci" brings together Dianne Wiest as an opera-star mom, her adorable son (Stanislas Merhar of "Dry Cleaning" fame), Jane Birkin as the titular shrink's patient, Bulle Ogier as an opera director, Simon Callow as "the man" and a great cameo from Vanessa Redgrave. (Even Jerry Hall seems at home in this illustrious company!) Writer/director Andrew Litvak has assembled a screw-ball comedy where the chuckles start small; if you're still there by film's ends (it has around four of them, but since three are hilarious, you won't mind), you may be sporting a grin as wide as your face.

The biggest gem among these actor jewels is Jane Birkin. Is there another performer who can use her gawky, horsey charm to such wonderful effect? Don't think so. The "wallflower" scene alone is worth a world of lesser movies. Merchant/Ivory-produced, the film didn't even make it into specialized release (though it appears to have been popular at certain film festivals). Thank god for DVDs!

A black comedy with a parade of unlikeable characters, but with occasional touches of grace that kept me watching. Dianne Wiest, usually great in funny or funky roles, is squintingly annoying and unconvincing as the puffy diva mother, but Jane Birkin nails the egotistically insecure psych patient (her changing into a nice frock to meet the Diva is a visual pun.) Slavic-cheeked Stanislas Merhar of Gerard Depardieu's 'Count of Monte Cristo' is well-cast as the Diva's cruising son, and Bulle Ogier, almost unrecognisable from the tour-de-force Dominatrix in 'La Maitresse', as the opera director who cribs from a psych textbook is fun. Like the movie itself which swings wildly from murder mystery to farce, the language swings from English to French; subtitles on the DVD come in handy.

An extra half-star for the Parisian street scenes and Penelope's apartment. 5 1/2 stars

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.

I loved every minute of Merci Docteur Rey. It was intelligently written, combining great comedy with an intricate plot. Outstanding performances by the cast make it difficult to believe that this is a first-time directorial effort. I howled at the Jane Birken wallpaper scene. I can't wait to see what Mr. Litvack has in store for us next.

This French-American comedy produced by Merchant Ivory (but nothing like their usual staid fare) is totally unpredictable - you never know what's coming next. It's hard to talk about the plot without giving anything away, since there are so many twists and turns - but it all fits together perfectly at the end. The actors are great. Stanislas Merhar (Dry Cleaning) shows that he's great at comedy too, and he's still really cute. What can be said about Dianne Wiest - she's always so great. Jane Birkin is stupendous and so is Bulle Ogier, who I saw and loved in "Gang of Four" by Jacques Rivette. Definitely go see it or rent it when it comes out - you'll be surprised how much fun you'll have. I can't wait to see it again!