Macaco no Inverno

A monkey in winter... en française, un singe en hiver. Stars jean gabin and suzanne flon as the quentins. They own an inn en tigreville,françe, during world war two. Which is occupied by deutsche soldaten. And gets bombed on a regular basis. Just like albert, the owner.. he's getting bombed on a regular basis. Which his wife doesn't like at all. So one day he makes his wife a promise: if they make it through the war, he'll not drink another drop. But when gabriel, a loud, drunk from madrid, stays at the inn, albert joins him on a drinking binge, and they go to visit gabriel's daughter at the local school. And they cause a commotion all over town. But all grand adventures must end. It's pretty good. Fun to see some of the world war two history and locations on the north coast of françe, all these years later. And that was in 1962. Directed by henri verneuil. He was nominated for the sheep. I really liked his film "burglars" from 1971.

Albert Quentin (Gabin) is running a small hotel in a coastal town in Normandy. He and his wife (Suzanne Flon)have settled down to a dull, peaceful existence heading into old age, when Fouquet (Belmondo), a young man gifted in flamenco dancing and getting very drunk, erupts into their lives. Soon all is turned upside-down, the teetotalling Quentin starts drinking again, and the town is treated to the most spectacular impromptu fireworks display that I can recall seeing in a movie. And that's not all... The acting is good all round: Gabin and Belmondo play off each other very well, Suzanne Flon strikes the right wistful and optimistic notes, and Noel Roquevert is very funny as the owner of a boutique where you can buy just about anything, including fireworks. Gabrielle Dorziat (of Les Parents terribles) has a nice cameo as the director of a girl's school who insists on speaking English.

Henri Verneuil was a very popular director from the 50's to the 70's; without being a real auteur he had a talent for pleasing the audience. Un singe en hiver follows Mélodie en sous-sol with its fine Gabin-Delon pairing, and gave me a lot of pleasure.

Un Singe en Hiver is famous for bringing together the France of the first half of the Century, symbolised by its greatest actor, Jean Gabin, and the greatest actor of the second half of the century, Jean Paul Belmondo. It not only brought them together but it created magic on the screen. The chemistry between Gabin and the kid Belmondo is incredible and carries this wonderful, yet simplistic, scenario to perfection.

The movie respects all three Greek units of creation, unity of action (it is the story of a man coming to get his daughter back, who incidentally meets an old man who looks a lot like the man he could become), unity of place, the whole movie takes place in the coastal town of Tigreville, Normandie, and unity of time, the whole movie takes places over 3 or 4 days.

The movie, written by legendary screenwriter Audiard, offers some of the best dialogues ever written for the big screen, it is at the same time a drama and a comedy. It is very much a French movie where, in essence, nothing happens, but a lot is actually being told. Every word carries its weight, every sentence unveils more about the story or the past of the two central characters played by Gabin and Belmondo.

Few movies can equally make you laugh, touch you and inspire you like Henry Vernieul's movie does. It is a story about good men who sometimes need to live a little and entertain themselves, enjoy life and dream a little.

It is unlikely we will ever get a movie like this again, it a jewel to treasure for the end of times.

Its lead virtue is to be more than a good comedy. a film about life. and its choices. about two men, in Tigreville. and about the result of that meeting who could change everything. a film about decisions, past strangers and...Spain. nothing new, but all useful in deep sense. because it is a simple film. about simple people. and about the fundamental meanings of existence. and sure, a fine motif for see it remains the presence of Gabin and Belmondo and their almost total seductive performances.

A very good movie where Belmondo and Gabin performed a so great duet. The story of a man who has stopped drinking- and then dreaming- and who thanks to a young man who tries to forget a lost love in alcohol will turn drunk again during an exciting night. Every man who has ever felt the pleasure of alcohol as a dream and nostalgic catalyst will enjoy watching it. The dialogs are exceptionnal thanks to Michel Audiard.