L'animal

Watchable little slapstick comedy about a stuntman (Belmondo), his stuntwoman girlfriend (Welch), how the film industry treats them, how they get by when out of a job, etc. Belmondo plays a double role, as a gay movie star and his look-a-like stunt double. He apparently has enormous fun playing both of them completely over the top (as the character of the film demands). For my taste though, his stunt character demands a bit too much love and attention from the audience; we are supposed to route for him getting the girl etc. and I found this somewhat patronising.

The film is at its best in moments of fast and furious comedy, for example a memorable scene has Belmondo creating havoc while wearing a Gorilla suit. However, these moments leave Raquel Welch (who looks fantastic in a wet blouse) a bit on the sidelines: slapstick is not quite her metier.

Claude Zidi has made comedies with all the best actors in France: Coluche, Thierry Lhermitte, Daniel Auteuil, Josiane Balasko; I imagine they sign on when they know he's directing. Here he has got Belmondo and Raquel Welch in an entertaining but not deeply probing picture(certainly not as deeply as Salut l'artiste, Yves Robert's film on stunt performers, with Mastroianni).

Belmondo has a lot of fun being physical, throwing his 44-year-old body down staircases and over moving cars. That stomach is still as flat as when he made Breathless with Godard, he's a marvel. Raquel Welch looks better here than I can remember her in Hollywood pictures, she's well lit and wears some great outfits by Scherer. She looks a lot better than she did in Mother, Jugs and Speed, or any of those junkfests. Finally, Aldo Maccione as the director is so easy to watch--and I've watched him in many pictures--he's like the perfect shady night club manager, married to the mob.

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)

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

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!