9 Month Stretch (2013)

Truly Dreadful Film

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

As far as I know Sandrine Kiberlain remains separated from husband Vincent Lindon, a fact I find sad as they are not only two of the finest French actors currently working but also two of my personal favourites and I can't, as it happens, recall seeing either give a bad performance. On the positive side they do have a daughter together and this enables me to indulge in the word-play above (enceinte is not only the French word for pregnant it also forms a true rhyme with Vincent) in order to write about a film whose basic premise is that Juge Kiberlain, a woman for whom the expression 'sober as a judge' might have been coined, is persuaded against hew will and indeed wish to join colleagues for a New Year celebratory drink which leaves her with no memory of the next few hours and totally bemused to find herself slightly enceinte some six months later with absolutely no idea of how, where and more pertinently who. This last is quickly resolved when hardened criminal and jailbird Dupontel, brought to her office for questioning, recognizes her and marks her card. From then, of course, the film has only one way to go and we are invited along for the ride. I, for one, found it a pleasant trip; a long-time admirer of Dupontel especially away from the 'bad boy' pourris that is his own personal albatross - has no one seen him in, for example, Fauteuils d'Orchestre, for God's sake - and I was pleased to be able to shake his head at a recent screening of the film. Kiberlain, as always, was a delight and it was pleasant to spot a Celia Johnson lookalike in the shape of Miche Bernard-Requin. The only jarring note in fact came from Terry Gilliam, invited on stage by Dupontel, who sycophantically overpraised director Dupontel's extended opening shot as if totally ignorant of Awesome Welle's definitive opening to Touch Of Evil.

i like this movie, liked it a lot. it was very funny, the kind of absurd situations fun, typical for french cinema. some faces there are worth remembering, and also some very funny lines. generally very good production and short, but good story; unfortunately the end was lacking. actually very very lacking to the point it takes away all the pleasure of watching the moviepretty much my vote is of 6.5 instead of 8 because of the ending. could've been much more entertaining and with a really solid conclusion, but well, had fun anywayrecommend for watching? yes

Zany, black comedy, 9 Mois Ferme, is on track to becoming one of 2013′s surprise top earning films in France. It was written, directed and stars French cinema bad boy Albert Dupontel and has attracted over 1,500,000 cinema-goers so far with no signs of running out of steam.The film is the simple story of 40-year-old, unmarried, high-powered judge Ariane Felder (Sandrine Kiberlaine) who lets her hair down at the firm's New Year's eve party only to discover six months later that she is pregnant. Not only is she unable to remember what happened on the evening in question, she has no idea who is the father of the child. Worse is to come when a DNA test reveals he is Bob Nolan (Albert Dupontel), an ex-con who was recently arrested on a grisly murder charge and goes by the name of the 'eye gobbler'.From this unlikely scenario, Dupontel has crafted a hugely enjoyable, high-energy comedy held together by his chemistry with Kiberlaine and a storyline which is both outrageously funny and surprisingly touching. In press interviews, Dupontel has said he originally wanted to make the film in English with Emma Thompson in the lead role. Fortunately for Kiberlaine that project never saw the light of day.She shows a deft comic touch as Felder, a lonely career-woman who spends most of her life in a tiny office dealing with a list of heinous crimes. She has reached the pinnacle of her career by remaining coolly detached from her clients and is horrified to discover the pregnancy which presents a serious obstacle to her dreams of becoming an high court judge. On the other side of the fence sits Bob Nolan, who was abandoned by his mother and shuttled from one reform school to another before inevitably ending up in prison. These two well-honed tales of the perils of modern living have been ingeniously cross-fertilised by Dupontel. who demonstrates that, despite the vast intellectual and cultural gulf that separates the two characters, they essentially suffer from the same sense of isolation and loneliness.While Kiberlaine is the Ice Queen who gradually melts, Dupontel alternates between the "Honey, I'm home" madness of Jack Nicholson in The Shining and a childlike vulnerability which is oddly engagingThis is humour at its darkest. – there are amputated limbs, a lunatic forensic scientist and one character is regularly clobbered with heavy objects. Alongside a winning cast of supporting actors, Oscar winner Jean Dujardin turns up in a hilarious cameo as a TV translator for the deaf with his own individual style of sign language. Ex-Monty Python Terry Gilliam also makes a short appearance as a Hannibal Lecter-like serial killer in a spoof TV report. It's been a disappointing year for French comedies but it looks like Dupontel's madcap film has pulled off an eleventh hour unexpected rescue mission.

I loved Dupontel in Odette Toulemonde. He is more than brilliant here. The story, albeit completely unlikely, is funny, silly, smart and just a great movie you can only come out smiling. Both principal actors do a marvelous job and you will not be disappointed. See it and laugh. Ypu will also get a few cameos. The Artist's Jean Dujardin makes an appearance as the funniest, nonsensical hearing impaired translator on the local TV news channel and Terry Gilliam has a cameo too. I am usually not into French film, even if French is my mother tongue, but every now and then, such as les Ch'tis and a few others, this gets top comedy rating. Odette was also a masterpiece. I think I will go check out Dupontel's other films. Enjoy!