The Tattoo (1968)

I had this tape for a long time but delayed the review until the last moment as this FUFU movie is also a Gabin one. As much as Fufu is a true icon, I never liked Gabin and never understand why he sould be in French Pantheon: he is rustic, gruff, never smiling, one attitude fits all so well a real pain in the what you think. Maybe it's because the contrast is so huge that here Fufu really shines with his fallacious deals and really human defects. The movie also has Garvarentz as a music composer and his soundtrack is really swinging!

Le tatoué starts of with a lot of funny details and scenes but after about half an hour the pace drops. Lots of banter and outright crazy nonsense. Racist at times (it is hard to imagine this was considered bon ton in 1968), funny when De Funès is at his usual best. And the weird sensation at one moment when we clearly hear the soundtrack from the Pink Panther movies in the soundtrack. And the ending goes nowhere at all. It is difficult to imagine that 60s movie public was okay with this sort of plot less craziness that you expect 30 years earlier with Laurel and Hardy. A nice film for LdF fans, but when you are not: don't bother with it.

Enjoyable silly comedy about two obstreperous men who, after long battles full of verbal and physical humour, end up buddies. In an artist's studio, rich Parisian art dealer Félicien Mézeray sees the old soldier Legrain, whose back has a tattoo by Modigliani. This he sells unseen to two American dealers and the rest of the film revolves around his frantic efforts to literally get the skin off the back of Legrain, who is in no hurry. The price Legrain wants is the renovation of his old family home in the country, which turns out to be the huge crumbling castle of Paluel in remote Périgord, while he turns out to be the last and extremely eccentric Count of Montignac.Well photographed with an enjoyable score, the film is really about the interaction of the two stars. Mézeray is a greedy dealer, manic in his chase after this lucrative deal. Legrain/Montignac is cantankerous and erratic but wants his ancient pile restored. The clowning could be enjoyed with the sound off but the dialogue needs some knowledge of contemporary French language and society. One little example which tickled me was when they are in bed together and Mézeray's wife answers him with "As you wish", naturally using the familiar "tu". He tells her she must stop using the familiar singular and must adopt the formal plural, because they are now a household of class. She replies "As you wish", using the formal "vous".

...But come on, it has Mr Funes in it. And as far as this comedian is engaged, it can't get wrong. I can't recall any movie with Mr Louis de Funes, which was not enjoyable. At least to my taste.What is the place of this comedian in cinema? I am sure that he occupies a sky-rocketing place near Mr Charles Chaplin, Mr Buster Keaton, Mr Norman Wisdom, and Mr Benny Hill. He is the master of slapstick intelligent humour with a shade of theatrical quality.Where am I? Oh yes, the film. It is a feast of stupidity. There are a few childish scenes involving "kick-boxing" and "judo". Mr Funes character is running about (as he usually does) for idiotic purposes. Some English-speaking guys are hunting a myth (i.e. a tattoo on human skin) and ready to pay huge amounts of dollars for that. The movie ends abruptly and incoherently. And did they have to throw the ministers into the ditch? But behind all that is the class of Mr Funes who never lets his character "go easy down the slope". He is electrifying and stylish. And that's what I like and respect him for.Advice: take a good DVD copy (like me - with the original soundtrack and the subs in your native language) and if you like old-fashion slapstick you cannot be disappointed. There are better comedies with the comedian ("Fantomas" will perhaps be my all-time No.1) but this one is still good and very bright.Turn off your brain and keep your eyes on Mr Funes and his grimaces - he is hilarious as ever.7 out of 10. Thanks for attention.