La patinoire

A moderately amusing French comedy about an ice hockey movie being made on an ice rink. Most of the humor is of the falling-over variety and the characters are all stereotypes. There are far too many jokes about slipping on ice. Toussaint tries hard to work the film-within-a-film idea (the film crew also has a TV crew making a documentary of the movie at the same time). There is one totally gratuitous sex scene thrown in for good measure. It has a few inspired moments but on the whole it's a good idea stretched out too long.

LA PATINOIRE (The Skating Rink) is rather amusing. For starters, not too many movies are made on this subject (particularly in Europe), so the material is guaranteed fresh. The subject matter including ice hockey is very popular in most industrialized countries and is therefore ripe for a good screenplay. This film delivers it, and features hilarious performances by its stars. These include Tom Novembre as the director of the movie being filmed at the skating rink, and Marie-France Pisier in top-form as the film's egomaniac producer. Also skating through the ice are Jean-Pierre Cassel, a nostalgic ex-Olympic skating champ who owns the rink, and the film within this film's leading man and girl (paring off a conceited American star and a temperamental French skater). The comedy is heightened by the arrival of the Lithuanian National Hockey Team and their antics. In short, a fresh and funny French comedy which appeals to all audiences.

While not the most elaborated story we liked this movie. Its a light entertaining film and it never pretends to be more than just a little comedy. Event though the director uses mostly only cliches for the characters, the movie is consequent in its style. Slapstick with a very cool French tone and quite funny. Oh, yes -the story: a film crew uses an ice hockey game as the backdrop for a love story. 95% of the movie shows the film crew and the Lithuanian ice hockey players and the American Hollywood star and the ice rink manager who dreams of his famous past as ice-dancer on location - the ice rink.

This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of movies. Yes, it's true there are some jokes, but most of the time it's just incredibly boring. Don't waste your time on watching this! Without Tom Novembre or Bruce Campbell it would have been nothing. It's only because they were in it that I gave it 2/10.

The Ice Rink was a laugh riot. The movie is about a not so experienced film crew. The director (Tom Novembre) will do anything to just get a scene. The main actor (Bruce Campbell) and main actress (Dolores Chaplin) are having a romantic relationship in and out of the movie. To make matters worse the produce of the film is trying to get the film done in time for the Venice Film Festival. When you put all of these together you get one hell of a laugh riot of a film. This movie was just so funny. I laughed from beginging to end. I recommend this film to all because I know you will not be disappointed.

10/10