Feliz Páscoa

Perfect! Are there only two fans of this movie? Unbelievable! I think, this is one of Belmondo's greatest act. We can see, that he played in several plays. IN THEATRE!!! The story is usual but it's not a problem! Maybe the 5.4 is for the theatrical scenes. I enjoyed each word of the film. This movie is a glorious victory of the European film. Williams is good. Carrey is great. But drama was born in Europe.( Actually, only a European actor can play this role.) Belmondo is perfect, Laforet is perfect, Marceau is not so perfect but we love her since La Boom. An easy entertainment, you must watch it! And then you'll know it's script by heart. PS: sorry for my "Hungarian English"

The film doesn't have a great script. All rely on the personal charm of Jean-Paul Belmondo, great and funny, as usual. A very young Sophie Marceau is also very charming and efficient. A not so young Marie Laforêt does what she can. Rosy Varte the same, even better, in a smaller role than Laforêt. Gérard Hernandez, small role too, the waiter from the Indian restaurant, is funny too. The music by Philippe Sarde is not great. Without Belmondo, with any other actor as the character Stephane Margelle, the film will be boring without shudder, without a charm. Jean-Paul fills the screen, he is the salt and the pepper.

I found it very interesting that almost only Hungarian people wrote reviews on this film.

About the film: IMO this is a typical French comedy, with lots of embarrassing and silly but funny situations and decent acting. Belmondo is in top form, the ladies are OK. If you like French comedies this is right up your street.

What makes this movie unforgettable for many of my fellow citizens is the extremely high quality of the Hungarian dubbing. I mean, I watched this film with the original sound and i have to tell you I didn't get half of the pleasure than watching it with the Hungarian voices.( In Hungary films on TV are usually dubbed and the standard of voice acting in the country was top notch for years. It's slowly declining nowadays, though, I'm afraid.)Many Hungarians know the entire script by heart and it's always a good party thing if you quote a line from this film. To us it's just fun.

Like I said earlier this might not be your cup of tea. However, just for the laughs you can watch it on a day when there's not much to do(I wish I had more of them). It's impossible not to -at least- smiley on the lovely character played by Belmondo.

Similarly to my fellow citizen, I also find it rather peculiar, that out of six comments on this film, four (and from now on five) have been written by Hungarians. It is also strange to see, that the other two reviewers (from Germany) claim that this movie is rubbish. It would be really fascinating to read a french viewer's opinion, since that is the original language of "Joyeuses Paques". So should someone from France, who also has seen the film read these lines, please impart your impressions. The fact that there is such a gap between the German and Hungarian opinions, gives rise to much controversy. Is this a good film or a bad one? Is this really one of the funniest roles of Belmondo (according to the Hungarian view), or is his acting merely barnstorming (according to the German view)? First and foremost I have to admit that I, as a Hungarian utterly enjoy the movie every time I see it. I have to watch it every Easter time, and as it was mentioned by others people really know some lines by heart from this film. My family is rolling with laughter whenever this piece of art is on TV. I bought it on DVD this spring, and we've seen it about five times since then. Belmondo is brilliant. When I first read the German reviews, I thought they were writing about another movie. Although I have to agree, that the scene with the boat in the beginning is ridiculous, the dialogues compensate for mistakes like that. Every sentence is a comedy treasure in this film. I started to think when I realized the huge chasm between the two nations' opinions. Is it possible that in Hungary we generally have such a "jerkish" :-) sense of humor that we laugh at things which normal people find pitiful and ridiculous? Or is it the Germans who don't have a sense of humor at all? None of these statements can be true, and I also find it impossible that there could be such a large cultural difference between the two nations. Having considered most aspects of this "mystery", I have to agree that the key must be the Hungarian dubbing. The Hungarian script is extremely witty (translated by Pataricza Eszter who is one of our best movie translators). Sztankay István (who was dubbing Bébel in this film) is by far the best Hungarian voice for Belmondo (apart from Garas Dezső, who was his voice in Le Professionnel). Sztankay in the Hungarian version is over-the-top, killer-diller, über-funny. The seductive sexy tone of Almási Éva accompanying the acting of Marie Laforět is beyond comprehension, and the young Götz Anna is also charming as the young Sophie Marceau. So if you don't like this film, just watch it in Hungarian... :-D

P.S.: I am really looking forward to reading some french comments on this movie, so come on French, hurry up and write a few lines.

The movie feels like a stage play at times. It is witty, funny and has great moments, (and a few disappointing scenes too). Overall great fun and a welcome break from Belmondo's "policier"/adventure comedies of the 70's and 80's.

This movie can be watched over and over again. All the actors play well with slight overacting with results in the "stage play feeling" together with the relatively few different sets.

The speed boat sequence in the opening of the film seems a bit weird and should be ignored.

Anyway highly recommended comedy from French Grounds.

Belmondo is and will always be a great actor.