Dvd
Micmacs
The new comedy from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the director of Amelie, following the sad exploits of Bazil (Danny Boon).
Bazil, an orphan whose father was killed by a landmine, is shot in the head while working near a street shootout. He survives, but doctors decide to leave the bullet inside his head. Out of hospital, with his house and job gone, he wanders the streets until he meets Slammer (Jean-Pierre Marielle). Bazil is introduced to a bunch of misfits living in a salvage yard. Each one possesses a special talent: Mama Chow (Yolande Moreau) is the cook; Elastic Girl (Julie Ferrier) contorts herself into the tightest confines; Calculator (Marie-Julie Baup) measures anything by glancing at it, Remington (Omar Sy) is the typist, Buster (Dominique Pinon) is a record breaker, Tiny Pete (Michel Cremades) can make machines.
When Bazil identifies the manufacturers of the bullet inside his head and the landmine that killed his father, he recruits his new friends to carry out his revenge. Each's talent is utilised as they scheme and act out an ingenious campaign against the two heads of the companies.
Starring Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Nicolas Marié, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Yolande Moreau, Julie Ferrier, Marie-Julie Baup, Omar Sy, Dominique Pinon, Michel Cremades
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet ('The City of Lost Children', 'Amelie', 'A Very Long Engagement')
Written by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guillaume Laurant
World Cinema, Crime, Comedy | 1hr 45mins | Rated (TBC) | Origin: France | Language: French with English subtitles | Official Site »
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The Talk
5 votes / No comments
Flicks review
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2
Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest effort, dealing as it does with a war on arms manufacturers, could do with a little more of darkness à la Delicatessen than the whimsy of Amélie. Perhaps that is to be expected, with the light-heartedness and cute factor of the latter resonating so very strongly with audiences (if not this particular reviewer). It’s no major transgression on the part of Jeunet’s, however, that he takes Micmacs in this direction; his exuberant playfulness is well suited to slapstick, he is eager to embrace tangents and diversions, and content for the story to go wherever his imagination suggests.
But absent of any sense of danger for the film’s ragtag bunch of scavenging misfits and neither showing the impression of a threat nor displaying much cold-hearted villainy from the corporate warmongers they come up against, there’s never the feeling that anything is at stake in the film. Instead Micmacs consists of a tension-free series of Mission: Impossible-like set pieces by way of the circus or perhaps Stig Of The Dump, a relentlessly cheerful and wacky tone, and a surprising absence of diatribe against its bad guys. Even the film’s negligible romantic subplot comes off undercooked, as if light-heartedness and actual human emotion were mutually exclusive concepts.
In alternating between childishness and risqué elements, and embracing a convoluted storyline, Jeunet perhaps missed an opportunity to make Micmacs a film that children would find hilarious. Instead it doesn’t prove adult enough for grown-ups, and fails to fully satisfy.
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The people's reviews
2 reviews
Press Reviews
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Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
I look at a film like this and must respect it for its ingenuity and love of detail. Then I remember “Amelie” and its heroine played by Audrey Tautou, and I understand what’s wrong: There’s nobody in the story who much makes us care.
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Christchurch Press (James Croot)
Bazil (Dany Boon) has always been something of an outsider.
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Empire (UK)
3
Jeunet himself describes the film best: Delicatessen meets Amélie. But we’d add that, while it’s certainly breezy fun, it’s not quite as good as either.
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Hollywood Reporter
Another beguiling if draining fantasia from Jean-Pierre Jeuet that harkens back to silent movies.
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Los Angeles Times
Micmacs is ultimately shaped by Jeunet's unique creative vision -- a fun house of mirrors that is lovely to get lost in.
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New York Times
There is no question that the heart of Micmacs is in the right place, but the movie is also a little thin
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NZ Herald (Russell Baillie)
3
Creatif? Mais oui. Fantastique? Non.
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Total Film (UK)
3
Fresh yet familiar, with such elaborate stylisation you’ll need the DVD to take it in, Micmacs finds Jeunet back in his wheelhouse. It won’t win new fans, maybe, but converts will love every frame.
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TVNZ (Darren Bevan)
A Jeunet film is always a joy to behold.
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Variety (USA)
Turning the volume of his slapstick surreality down from 11 to 10, Gallic auteur Jean-Pierre Jeunet ("Amelie") hits the sweet spot with Micmacs.
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