Dead Weight (2002)

The first and only time I saw this film I was naively expecting something on the "comic duo" lines oft employed by Francis Veber in such films as "La Chèvre", "Tais-toi", "Les Fugitifs" to name but a few. I was soon to be disappointed as this is only a pale imitation of the preceding. The plot was over zany and far-fetched, and the behaviour of the characters was so stupid as to be annoying ! There was also over-use of special effects ( useless in a film of this kind ) and to boot the whole picture "looked" over-synthetic without natural colours and over dominance of blue and yellow hues. The other thing was that I didn't find the actors funny at all. That this film, in spite of its numerous failings, had a reasonable success at the box office only goes to show that present-day humour in France is slowly descending towards prehistoric levels of vulgarity, unsubtleness and crudity. This film is therefore destined to an audience with very basic and limited humoral appreciation. Thank God we have the older films and the Vebers to remind us that good, clean, witty and intelligent humour did exist in the past.

Launched in the Spring 2002 in France, "le boulet" was hugely successful (more than 3 million of spectators in the French theaters). Why? This success remains both mysterious and unexplainable because Alain Berbérian's movie's got every conceivable fault, every fault imaginable so that you can name it: the perfect load of rubbish. It consists on an uninspired and hackneyed script with threadbare topics. Dialogs that aren't very worked and a poor directing that emphasizes too much on special effects.But above all, "le boulet" is a bad movie because it borrows mostly elements or sequences from a lot of French movies. Thus, you find traces of "la cité de la peur" (1994) made by the same director, always Berbérian. But you also think about "la soif de l'or" (1993) and "la grande vadrouille" (1966) both made by Gérard Oury. Even the duo of characters with opposed disposition (here, we deal with the frail Poelvoorde and the heartless Lanvin) and who are however compelled to work together isn't original. Indeed, this comic device had been already used (and brilliantly) by Francis Veber. You only have to watch "la chèvre" (1981) or "les fugitifs" (1986) to realize it.With this poor movie that looks hollow, we deal with a very serious situation: it would appear that French comedy is declining...

"Le boulet" is the perfect definition for the word "disaster" : it happens when untalented French movie-makers try to do a parody of a bad Bud Spencer-Terence Hill buddy movie. "Le boulet" is the proof that the French cultural exception is really about to die. The presence of Benoit Poelvoorde is this unbelievable cinematographic shipwreck is the only positive element :Scenario : 0/10Direction : 1/10FX : 3/10Actors (except Lanvin and Poelvoorde ): 1/10Images : 2/10G. Lanvin : 4/10B. Poelvoorde : 6/10Total : 2.4/10 (I still have the feeling that I over-rated this trainwreck)

This movie is better than one thought. Does anybody remember the great 70ies movies with Louis De Funès ? This one is in the same spirit with goofy comic-like characters and a taste of adventure. It is set in France and in Africa. Everybody is funnily over acting and the movie has one of the dumbest (and funniest) endings in recent movie history. Give it a try !