Les Grandes Vacances

I didn't know their collaboration was so huge (12 movies including the famous Gendarme) but this movie is much better than the previous one i watched, « Jo ». In a way, in 1967, France was still at the top, with people happy, working and enjoying life and families. It's very cool to discover their fashion, the music revolution and the youth getting their liberty ! Here, Fufu plays a tyrannical schoolmaster, father and husband ! His extraordinary talent is to play him with a lot of humanity and silliness so at the end, his character is engaging ! Another cool thing with Fufu is that as an actor, he likes to play inside a family, his working one (his wife, the strong man, the English girl, …) as well as the real other. Like the best comedy, there is a real plot to build the action and it's not an endless bit of chunks ! With the movie, we visit the country side near Paris, Normandy, London and even Scotland ! It's really funny, totally absurd and accurate with the human nature. If i don't rate « 10 », it's only because the last part of the movie with the Scottish folklore is too much action, even if the English actor is really good to act with Fufu ! So this a real recommendation for those who love summer movies, vacations, teen-parents relationships and « entente cordial » !

The magnificent French comic actor Louis de Funès demonstrates his talent in this French-Italian film.He plays Charles Bosquier- a grumpy principal of a reputable boys college.Bosquier always controls his students very strictly.His problems start when an exchange program sends an attractive 19 year-old girl to his college in order to spend the summer vacation there and learn more about the French culture.Bosquier's son falls in love with her and they run away.So,the principal is on the verge of madness and he starts chasing them. The film contains lots of funny scenes and humor and of course the superb acting of Louis de Funès.Honestly,the scenario has some weak points.Definitely,"Les Grandes vacances" is not one of the best films of Funès but it is worth seeing.

I quite agree with Elmaruecan82's long and excellent review. I will take away one further star because of the treatment and terrible shooting conditions those poor horses in the last scene obviously had to go through. Just for this I would recommend boycotting this movie! But it's too bad because, as has been observed, the premise is great and a perfect opportunity for a fun, cross-cultural window on 1967, and all the right comedians are in the cast (even Claude Gensac). It's just mostly bad, over-the-top, comedic stuff, deprived altogether of the quasi-surrealism of the best De Funès entries of his prime years. Even himself plays kind of low-key here... And his verbal fighting scenes with his English antagonist are poorly improvised...

at the first sigh, each film of Louis de Funes is only version of the others. but each of themes gives a new way to discover the near reality. "Les Grandes Vacances" is far to be an exception. the humor has the same source. the cultural differences,the joy of youth against the neurosis of the neurosis of the small man with serious responsibilities, the holiday and the love, the same partners for the admirable de Funes and the solution for the great problems. and it is enough for a great comedy .

I am sure there is not only human being who could not love Louis De Funès, for me the funniest French actor of all times. I admit that maybe foreign audiences - not French I mean - could have some difficulties because of the language and humor subleties. There are hundreds kinds of humor, depending of the countries and cultures. Unlike drama stories, that are understandable anywhere, no matter the country, languages, unlike this, humor is totally different, it is far more difficult to make laugh than weep. Concerning this film, the topic is totally simple and lousy, but as usual, only Louis de Funès character is worth, justifying mass of audiences to come and make the gross for the production companies. I confound this one with LE PETIT BAIGNEUR, always with Louis De Funès. The kind of actor that can reunite all kind of audiences, all kinds, from all generations.