Paris 36 (2008)

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

As Good As It Gets

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Blistering performances.

For the final day of the ICM Musical challenge I started looking round for any DVDs I might have of Musicals waiting to view. Moving a pile of DVD's that a family friend recently gave me,I was thrilled to stumble on a French Musical, which led to me booking 36 tickets to Paris.The plot-In a police station, Pigoil explains the events which led to him committing a murder.Paris:New Years Day 1936:Learning on New Years Eve in 1935 that his wife has been unfaithful, stage manager of the Chansonia music hall Pigoil rings in the New Year by local gangster Galapiat closing the club down. Struggling to find new work,Pigoil gets an extra kicking when he loses custody of his young son Jo-Jo. All in a similar situation,Pigoil and his friends decide to team-up and re-open the Chansonia. Initially angered by Pigoil overturning his orders, Galapiat gets a glimpse of the new direction Pigoil is taking the club in,when he meets the new leading star Douce. View on the film:Going back in time with a dazzling crane/steadicam opening shot, (all done in one take) co-writer/(with Julien Rappeneau/ Pierre Philippe/Frank Thomas/ Reinhardt Wagner and Jean-Michel Derenne ) director Christophe Barratier & cinematographer Tom Stern go back to a rustic Fantasy version of Paris in 1936,with vivid blue and gold filters giving the re-opened Chansonia an atmosphere of wander. Lifting the curtain to go backstage,Barratier makes each Musical number feed into the state of turnaround that the club is in at that point,as a gradual fading of lights and elegant whip-pans uncover the pressure Pigoil and Douce are under to keep the demands of Galapiat hidden backstage.Partly based on Edith Piaf's relationship with nightclub owner Louis Leplee,the writers brilliantly thread an episodic thread around the Chansonia,via the moody Melodrama of Douce romantic heart criss- crossing with Pigoil's playfully funny fights to put his dream shows for the Chansonia on. Paying loving tribute to the "Dream Factory" eras of Hollywood and French cinema,the writers cook up a sweet pastiche,where all of the union strikes and the increased appearances of Fascists can't dim the lights of the Chansonia in putting on an escapist show for a troubled public.Reuniting with Barratier, Gérard Jugnot gives a fantastic "everyman" performance as Pigoil,whose dry, determined wit Pigoil uses for dead-pan punchlines,whilst Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu gives Galapiat a slippery menace/fake charm. Kicking up the footlights, the very pretty Nora Arnezeder gives an exquisite performance as Douce,thanks to Arnezeder balancing the mischievous charisma Douce with the fragile love that Douce can barely keep wrapped in the curtains of the Chansonia.

This is an extremely well made film full of wonderful performances and great direction. The problem is, explaining exactly why I enjoyed it isn't all that easy--much of due to the rather unconventional plot.The film begins in 1936. A very ordinary and unassuming looking man named Pigoil is being interrogated by the police about a murder he apparently committed. The rest of the film consists mostly of events from the last half year that led to this killing.Pigoil and his friends work at a theater in Paris that has seen better days. They put on a variety show but the show is abruptly cut short when an evil fascist mobster takes over the place and shuts it down--leaving everyone out of work. After months of looking for jobs, Pigoil is so frustrated that he decides he and his out of work friends will just squat--take over the empty theater and stage a revival. There is A LOT more to the film--including several key subplots just too complicated to explain in the review. Oddly, however, late in the film it suddenly becomes, briefly, a slightly surreal song and dance number--like you'd find in a 1940s musical! But, once again, there is SO MUCH to this film that it's just one you need to see for yourself.Some might no enjoy the film's somewhat episodic style or not understand the historical context for the movie. After all, today few would realize that France and much of Europe (and even the US) were experiencing fascist nationalistic movements. And, at the same time, Communists were also making in-roads with the masses--very much like the crap that was going on in Nazi Germany at the time--just not as organized or militant.Overall, this is a cute and well-made film--one you will enjoy if you just give it a chance--it sneaks up on you!

Pigoil (Gerard Jugnot) runs a small vaudeville like theater, the Chansonia, in the Faubourg section of Paris. His wife is a "star" of the theater and the rest of the performers are a tight-knit group. Perhaps, too close, for Pigoil is given a double whammy one day. First, his wife has been sleeping with not one, but, two of the other troupe members and, even more sadly, the owner of the building can not pay his debts (it is the depression everywhere) and commits suicide. Soon, Pigoil and his young, idolized son Jojo are barely scraping by. But, then, Pigoil makes a deal with the Fascist like gentleman who truly runs the neighborhood. Can his show group have one month to make the theater profitable again? The ruthless man agrees to give them a chance, for he has his eye on one of their newest performers, a beautiful young singer named Douce. Will the Chansonia become successful once more? This is an unusual look at life in the depression, for it has a French setting, where fascism was brewing in neighboring Germany and in France. There are many subplots to the main one, including one of an agoraphobic music teacher, residing across from the Chansonia, who was once a leading song writer and who has an unlikely connection to Douce. Needless to say, the recreation of the former theater district is very fine, as are the costumes, the cast, the story, and the direction. Therefore, if you like foreign films and unusual tales, put this on your list for future viewing. It is a fine example of quality French cinematic achievements.

If this film had been produced 60 to 70 years ago,it probably would have been directed by Jean Renoir and starred Jean Gabin as one of the central figures. 'Faubourg 36' (or as it is being distributed in English speaking countries as 'Paris 36')is a film that takes place in Paris, just before world war 2,when political tensions were at a boiling point between left leaning French & their ultra conservative right wing counterpoint (which would eventually embrace the Nazi party in Germany,especially when Hitler marched into Paris in the 1940's). A (failing)theatrical troupe,bent on preserving their beloved theater tries to pull things back together,they get support from some of the locals (including an alleged Communist,who claims he was in the Red Brigade in Russia),a young lass trying to break into the singing profession,a (mostly)unfunny comic & enough well meaning persons to try and bring things together. A corrupt local political figure,who wants to do little more than bring the ruination of the theater also looms. The film is complimented by a cracker jack cast of French professionals who turn in a splendid job of acting. The screenplay, although something of an overstuffed sandwich of sorts,is still well played out. The film features several songs,most of which are performed by the cast,themselves. At times,this film has a Busby Berkley feel to it (which is not a bad thing). In French with English subtitles. Rated PG-13 by the MPAA,this film contains a bit of rude language,some suggestive material that parents of very young children may not appreciate,and some violence (but nothing too gory that could disturb some sensitive audiences). Well worth a look.