Locked Out (2006)

LOCKED OUT is, as is typical for an Albert Dupontel film, bonkers. It's essentially a homage to Silent Era comedy (half Chaplin, half Keaton) with all the editing, colour and language of the modern world. It's about a glue-sniffing tramp who finds the uniform of a suicidal policeman and, in order to get a free lunch in the police canteen, starts wearing it. Before long he's trying to right wrongs, form a hobo police force and kidnapping businessmen in order to recover the child of the ex-porn star he's fallen for. Like many manic films the pacing is a bit odd: at times it builds gags until you can't stop laughing, whilst at other times it feels a little saggy. That said, the laughs are worth waiting for and at 80 minutes or so it never overstays its welcome. It helps that every inch of the film is filled with great ideas, characters and design (look out for Terry Deary as a tramp who tries to scam a meal by pretending Terry Gilliam is his baby) and that it does manage to end on a sensitive emotional note. Try it.

This movie is pathetic. At a certain point, I sadly remembered what French comedy was in its golden age, the 60's, 70's and early 80's and, from there on, couldn't help spending every minute I kept watching, thinking what it has become now. I am really trying to be gentle with this movie but I can't. The story is so pathetically black and white. The jokes and stereotypes are quite obviously targeted at a young, suburban public which is at war with society while in flagrant lack of education, which I don't mean to generalize. It honestly worries me to see that this horrible pile of dung actually has its supporters. If you want to see good slapstick movie or comedy including Policemen, watch any of Louis de Funès' Gendarme of St Tropez, the Keystone Cops or even Police Academy. If you want to see good social criticism as a comedy, watch some movies with the actor Coluche or, why not, a good old Chaplin flick. This movie is a patchwork monster aimed at pleasing a public too overfed to understand what a good joke is. My mind literally bleeds when I see this. I watched this film until the end in disbelief. If anything is still dear to you, don't!

If you want to know the answer to that question, go to see that comedy really very funny. That remember me Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Tex Avery, it's incredible...The hero is a homeless, and all what he try to do systematically fail and turn in gag. That movie of 80 minutes is very trash some time, but there is a lot of humanity in. If you have see movie like 'Dogma' or 'Jay & bob counter-attack' you will surely find that movie great.A lot of news ideas that we never see before in a movie, and a good rhythm, that make you laugh from the beginning to the end without interruption or rather. That movie is a satyric comedy, but that's very good for our society because there is a true reflexion behind all that stream of gags. Don't be afraid because it's a French movie, it's the best 'french touch' of movie making actually. No money, but totally crazy, and very funny.

I went to see "Enferme Dehors" expecting the worse and I got it. 90mn of relentless torture. This is not a poor man's Amelie Poulain or a modern Comedia del'Arte. It is trashy, ugly, not funny and an utter waste of time. The political message, all businessmen are baddies and tramps are good hearted decent people, is so naive and retarded that even L'Humanite has given it up long time ago. Its utterly amazing that Dupontel was ever given the €1000 that this movie must have cost. Dupontel's attacks on consumerism are painfully boring. One ray of sunshine though, Claude Perron who plays Marie the ex porno star. Dupontel should be locked up and made to watch Bloomberg TV all day long.