Sur un arbre perché

Perched on a Tree (L'Arbre, le Maire et la Médiathèque) is a 1971 French comedy starring the legendary Louis de Funès. While de Funès is typically known for his energetic and hilarious performances, this film unfortunately doesn't quite hit the mark for me.

One of the main issues with the film is its pacing. The story, which revolves around a man who finds himself stuck in a tree after a car accident, drags on and feels overly long. The plot lacks the dynamic energy and quick wit that usually characterize de Funès' films, making it feel somewhat tedious and drawn-out.

Despite these flaws, Louis de Funès still manages to deliver a commendable performance. His unique brand of physical comedy and expressive facial expressions provide some genuinely funny moments, which is a testament to his talent. However, even his performance can't fully compensate for the film's lackluster storyline and slow progression.

In conclusion, Perched on a Tree has its moments of humor thanks to Louis de Funès, but the overall experience is marred by its slow and drawn-out plot. It's a film that might appeal to die-hard fans of de Funès, but it's not one that I would watch again. I give it a 6/10 for the occasional laughs and de Funès' performance, though it falls short of his more memorable works.

Imagine George Clooney and Jim Carrey alone in the car between sky and sea with Cathrin Zitta on the backseat doing with her ... sex? No ... not sex, COMEDY! You can't? This is simply because Jim Carrey cannot even compare with the mighty comic genius of the great De Funes. Please don't even think to remake (in other words, steal) his genial films EVER! Please, Hollywood. PLEASE, do your usual blockbusters about slapstick comedy situations involving petting, flirting, masturbating, copulating, ejaculating and please PLEASE leave monsters in comedy like monsieur De Funes rest in peace. What more is to be said. You cannot understand this movie unless you were born European. Sure it will be boring to the Americans excluding few brief nudity scenes with young Geraldine Chaplin wearing really funny trousers.

'Sur un arbre perche' is the original title of a De Funes film and when saying De Funes, one thinks comedy relying basically on grimaces, silly noises etc... Well, this isn't quite the case here.... Louis de Funes does what he does best-the above mentioned- but the film comes as a surprise in which that it is more than a comedy- the end proves it ! It's a satire at all that makes today's society's entertainment : church, family values, onerous business, TV reality shows, politicians, public services like police, fire fighters, first aid; it's all there in the spotlight and none is given a sweet pat on the head- far from it ! The film being shot in the early 70's, the satire addressing all the mentioned areas is so much more compelling. The silly accident which leads to three strangers being literally perched on a 'pin parapluie' in a car above the sea for a week is still a good starting point for some gentle humour 'De Funes style', but when the protagonists are finally discovered there's a load of not so humorous, yet immensely funny reactions from all the concerned authorities or people , none of them actually doing much to rescue our heroes. And when they are finally rescued... well... A film to watch at least for one reason: it is not what you might expect.

Louis de Funès is by far the best French comedian, one every French or Belgian would be able to name a handful of his movies, so rewatching one of his movies brings back memories from my youth, when back in the days you didn't have much choice. You would watch what was on the telly on the few channels you had, a de Funès movie was always popular. Sur Un Arbre Perché isn't one of the better ones, mostly because of the rather annoying Géraldine Chaplin, daughter of the famous Charlie, and Olivier de Funès, son of Louis, who mostly plays in his father's movies and who never had the same charisma or acting talent as his father. This movie is worth a watch if you're a fan of Louis, otherwise there are much better ones like La Grande Vadrouille for instance.

a nice story. tension and humor. love, French irony, Louis de Funes and Geraldine Chaplin, Olivier de Funes, a car, a pine and too many details. a lot of clichés. but, far to be memorable, it is a decent comedy about media, revenge and survive. and good occasion to discover, again, a great actor not in one of his high roles but in an exercise to use the nuances of his stereotypes character. a film about family, business and religion, about adventure and relations in crisis, not very credible but nice and almost useful. one of easy films who reminds old fashion humor recipes. and who has the right dose of nostalgic emotion. so, see it !