La Cage aux Folles (1979)

You won't be disappointed!

Sorry, this movie sucks

Simply A Masterpiece

Absolutely the worst movie.

French cinema at its best. Witty jokes, nice plot and absolutely outstanding actors' play. Ugo Tognazzi and especially Michel Serrault play they roles so naturally that it's hard to believe they are not gay. Every movement, every expression shows that Albert is a woman in man's body - and it's not the makeup that makes you think that!. It's played and directed so good that can watch this movie over and over, one of the best movies on my list. Even if you know the plot you are going to enjoy this movie every time you watch it. Sequels aren't nearly as good - mainly because of weak plot. US-made remake is the expected disaster.

I first saw the remake Birdcage many years ago, and only last night got around to see La Cage Aux Folles. I liked it a lot. I can only imagine it's impact back in 1978. (I also appear to be in the minority since I also liked the campy/funnier version of Birdcage with it's disco soundtrack).I think what I liked best about the French version was the role of the mother. She was unapologetic about not wanting to raise a child. In this day and age of slow moving public acceptance of gay couples (and hopefully one day gay marriage), I found this challenge to the stereotyped notion of motherhood to be more (refreshingly)shocking than the gay issue. I barely remember how they explained the mother in the American version, I believe the parents had been married and were divorced and the implication was that the mother was in the sons life (I might be misremembering). Not all women have this maternal "instinct" that society insists they have. I was happy to see a successful career woman with no regrets for her choices.I'm glad that they tried to hit on gender issues, class, race AND issues of sexuality, instead of just focusing on one to the exclusion of all others.p.s. it reminded me a of Ang Lee's Wedding Banquet - I wonder if he was influened by this film or maybe trying to appear straight to appease traditional parents a common issue that many people have had to address.

The issue between this film and its American remake, "The Birdcage", is not whether the second film glossed over the issues of homosexuality. French culture in 1978 simply did not allow a diplomat's daughter to marry the son of a nightclub owner, regardless of whether or not the nightclub was a drag club or not, or regardless of whether or not the diplomat was the secretary of the Union for Moral Order. Molinaro's point about Albin as a drag queen and Renato as his partner was made quite well, and several of the scenes where Albin "goes straight" are quite funny--but they weren't really the point of the movie. But this film couldn't be PERFECTLY remade, retaining all of the original facets of the French movie. Mike Nichols couldn't possibly have made a comparison about the two cultures clashing in the film, in 1996 America. ANYWHERE in 1996 America, for that matter, not just "South Beach" Florida. If you criticize the movie on those grounds, it's not quite fair. Molinaro's original was made to amplify the horror of the culture clash, by using a gay pair as the groom's parents. Nichols' remake is meant to ONLY accentuate the fact that Armand and Albert are liberally gay--flagrantly so--and not that they aren't in Kevin Keeley's class. The original is better for audiences who want something deeper and more meaningful, in that sense; but it doesn't mean that the remake is any worse for it. "La Cage" is less of a farce than "Birdcage", and that was intentional. I give both about the same rating--that is, excellent.

This film along with the later "Birdcage" should be compulsory viewing for all late teen agers at school. I found both films enjoyable but then I had already been to see the Stage show the films are based on, about 22 times at latest count. The show/film is a study of true love between two gay men being tried and tested and shown to be true. I can recommend both films, but I do SO wish they would make a true film of the stage show, after all, the story the film is based on is actually a Musical. Remember, the Supreme Gay Anthem << "I am what I am!" >> is taken from the musical stage production. Watch either of the two films and come away with satisfaction, see the stage show and weep with joy. Having said all of that, I did find "La Cage 2" made me cringe a bit. sorry.