O Selvagem

Vibrantly photographed, with a more casual, less refined than usual Catherine Deneuve (in one of her rare forays into slapstick comedy) at her most beautiful, but shrill, mostly unfunny, and way overlong; the would-be husband's character (an Italian caricature) is particularly unendurable. *1/2 out of 4.

Jean-Paul Rappeneau made an auspicious directorial debut in 1965 with 'La Vie de Chateau', a delightfully comic view of the Nazi occupation which made it a forerunner to films such as 'La Grande Vadrouille'. Fast forward twenty five years and he directed the definitive version of 'Cyrano de Bergerac'. In the interim he directed only three films, all of them comedies where the rather juvenile humour of his first film has been carried to extremes in which frantic is deemed funny and featuring silly slapstick, hysteria, numerous punch-ups and rat-a-tat delivery.

Two of these starred the charismatic Yves Montand and this is undoubtedly the better of the two. He is here partnered by Catherine Deneuve who had previously worked with Rappeneau on 'La Vie de Chateau'. Her presence guarantees that despite the frenetic goings on Romance will blossom and l'Amour conquer all. Montand's scruffy, unshaven Robinson Crusoe character whose peaceful island existence is shattered by a wilful, strong-minded and sexy female would seem a nod to Cary Grant in 'Father Goose' but whereas Grant and his girl Friday Leslie Caron are threatened by the Japanese, here Deneuve is pursued by a jilted fiancé and Montand is being tracked by his estranged wife. The fiancé is portrayed as a one-dimensional, hot-headed Italian caricature whose solution to every problem is to hit someone whereas the wife is a powerful business tycoon whose motive seems more financial than emotional and who is played by the classy Dana Wynter.

The film is evidently inspired by Hollywood films of the 'screwball' variety and the talented Mlle Deneuve acquits herself very well in an atypical role. Based upon the principle of 'horses for courses' it is best not to compare her with the likes of Carole Lombard and Jean Arthur who excelled in this particular genre. Her chemistry with Montand is palpable as it is in their only other film together, 'Les Choix des Armes.' No doubt with a view to the box office there is an utterly gratuitous shot of her breasts but of course, who's complaining?

Monsieur Montand is as engaging and beguiling in this as he was to be in Rappeneau's next film and in Claude Sautet's seldom seen 'Garcon'. It is a pity that he was not granted the opportunity to do more comedy whilst it is probably kinder to pass over in silence his appearance in 'Let's make love' which calls to mind the phrase 'a fish out of water'.

After an unsuccessful engagement party Nelly (Catherine Deneuve) leaves his fiancée and hiding in the Hotel, meeting Martin (Yves Montand) who help her to run of his angry and abandoned Italian guy, so she goes to your former Boss to receive your money for late payment, but he doesn't pays her, so she has to stolen a expensive and famous Toulouse Lautrec's painting and looking Martin again to sell it, but he didn't have enough money, somehow end up on a isolate island where Martin lives an easy life, now he has to send away this disturbed woman, to lives in peace!!! Silly but watchable Romantic comedy from these great french actors.

Recipe for escapist film: Take one top writer (Jean-Loup Dabadou), add one top director (Jean-Paul Rappeneau), season with a brace of A-list vedettes (Yves Montand, Catherine Deneuve), and a dash of screwball and voila! Eat! Enjoy! A guy who has quit the perfume business and found that the Grasse is greener in the islands, a gal running away from a vitriolic Italian, a stolen Lautrec, a bearded Montand, a gorgeous Deneuve, an island idyll. What more do you want. You DO want more? Gee, some people are NEVER satisfied. How about Tony Roberts doing the Tony Randall/Gig Young stooge to Doris Day-James Garner-Rock Hudson spot and proving up to snuff. NOW will you go see it and do yourself a favor. This is a million miles away from Godard pretentiousness and all the better for it. 9/10

After thirty, I suppose a legend is able to do pretty much what she wants. Here, Catherine Deneuve, tiring of being the glacial Grace Kelly type for Bunuel, Truffaut et les autres opts for very effective physical comedy alongside Yves Montand.

They do Cary Grant-Katharine Hepburn-style farcical routines very well. Deneuve, escaping from her frenetic fiance, hooks up with Montand, who is himself fleeing marital and business entanglements. Tony Roberts, seen in Woody Allen films of the period, does very well as the club owner from whom Deneuve steals a Toulouse-Lautrec, and who must track down the dizzy blonde in Venezuela to get it back. Jean-Paul Rappeneau's direction is accomplished and the scenery is gorgeous. There is a car chase that actually is funny, and I can't recall the last one that made me laugh.