Name: Les grands sentiments font les bons gueuletons
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1973-12-12
Duration: 1 h 45 min
Rating: 5.9
Cast: Michel Bouquet, Jean Carmet, Michael Lonsdale

A funny and likeable comedy crammed with seventies nostalgia

Jean Carmet and Michel Bouquet lead the line in what I think is a rather brilliant work of comedy.

Visual gags doggedly follow these two stressed, lugubrious heads of family about, Georges as he deals with his mother's funeral, Claude as he hosts his daughter's wedding. Their wives Christiane (Micheline Luccione) and Paulette (Anouk Ferjac) somehow keep the show on the road but no-one is immune from the deluge of mishaps.

This is a Paris of traffic jams. Not a car bumper is spared, not a parking ticket avoided. Those cars that have not been driven into lamposts are either clamped for parking or rendered immobile by container lorries and traffic jams. Don't miss the roundabout sign for the Place d'Italie. Georges meanwhile has clearly inherited his mother's wreckless driving habits. And while we're on transport, the coffee filter only works when Concorde passes by.

The modern world causes a stream of inconveniences. Faulty musical doorbells, rude teenagers in leather jackets, chewing gum, the newly-built Gare Montparnasse with its automatic taps, the photo booth, drinks machines, pyramidal cartons of milk, biros, rotating ashtrays, seat belts, telephone booths, hairdryers, glass doors with magnetic handles, electric doorbells, an electric clothes dolly, electric meat carvers, travelling alarm clocks and briquets... they each malfunction with impeccable timing.

Teenager Anne-Marie (Anicée Alvina) mopes about, reminding us at first of Alvina's funny cameo in 1970's 'Elle boit pas, elle fume pas...'. She is getting married, so desperate is she to escape her family. The long telephone calls to her boyfriend, the gentle flirting with her shy uncle Stéphane (Michel Lonsdale)... admirers of Alvina's charm will not be disappointed.

But there are little moments of revelation too, such as when Georges realises how horrible he has always been to the man in the wheelchair, always stuck haplessly trying to communicate or to simply reach the buttons in the lift.

The marriage celebrations and the funeral party take place in the neighbouring apartments. The funeral tea is commandeered by a monologue from the aunt (Gabrielle Doulcet), congratulating herself on her good health to the sound of snapping crustaceans. The wedding party clap their way through some bizarre chant (pu cha chi, pu cha cha...), bullied into enjoying themselves by master of ceremonies from hell Henri Guybet.

I think this comedy does more than stand the test of time. As well as being a delightful observational comedy, it's a encyclopaedic homage to seventies modernism; and, of course, it's a celebration of difficult families and of Frenchness.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Les grands sentiments font les bons gueuletons

In 1970s Paris suburbs, two neighbors face contrasting life events: Georges prepares his mother's funeral while Claude plans his daughter's wedding. Their parallel stories unfold as joy and grief collide on the same floor.

Les grands sentiments font les bons gueuletons (1973)

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Les grands sentiments font les bons gueuletons

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