Monsieur Batignole (2002)

That was an excellent one.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

This is a well acted true story about a Pork Butcher who helped three Jewish children escape from the Nazis. It challenges the perception that many English people have had about the way that French people behaved during the Nazi occupation, by looking at the situation in a more even-handed manner. It does, however, not shy away from the issue of French collaboration with the Nazis, nor does it shy away from the issue of real prejudice against Jewish people. The characters are imbued with the different shades of humanity that most people display, and the quality of the direction and acting lift this even more. This is the first time I have seen a film directed by Gerard Jugnot, and I am impressed with his direction, as I am with his acting. Jules Sitruk is a revelation too! Tough yet vulnerable, I am certain that you will come to respect Sitruk's Simon, as well as care about him. I had previously seen Sitruk in 'Son of Rambow' and assumed he was an English actor doing a bad French accent. He is French, and really very good!

Comedy/drama with splendid performance from Gerard Jugnot as a grocer who becomes involved numerous risks and adventures to save three little Jews . 1942 Paris is under Nazi occupation , there a store keeper named Edmond Batignole (Gerard Jugnot) benefits this situation . He lives with his spouse (Michelle Garcia) and daughter (Alexia Portal) in a small flat in the building of his grocery . Thanks to his future son-in-law , a notorious collaborationist (Jean-Paul Rouve) he organizes banquets for Germans . However his life changes when a Jewish little boy appears in his door asking for help . Batignole hides and protects him against his fateful destination by any means , despite risking to lose his privileged position . Later on , there appears his two Jews cousins , then Batignole decides to travel with three kiddies to Switzerland .This is an interesting comedy/drama/war developed in an occupied France during the 40s and based on writing credits by Philippe Lopes and Gerard Jugnot. It's the feeling story about a humble grocer with sweet moments, humor and amusing situations . Interesting film is sometimes slipping into banal sentimentality , comedy or outright melodrama, three things that in this powerful portrayal are well combined . Over-all this is an engaging look to infancy friendship with periods of heavy-handed sentimentality . Extraordinary performances from duo protagonist, Gerard Jugnot acting similarly to Louis De Funes with excessive gesticulation , he plays an insignificant shop keeper turned into liberator hero and Jewish saving , and a likable kid stunningly interpreted by Jules Sitruk . Enjoyable relationship between the obstinate shop keeper and the Jewish know-all boy . This stirring and highly acclaimed riveting war comedy about a grocer who has intense relationship with a Jew boy is powered by marvelous performances being very well directed by Gerard Jugnot . He is a magnificent director and actor , his greatest hit was , of course , ¨The Chorus¨ . He has directed eleven films, generally , dramas and comedies , such as : 2008 Fashion victim, 2000 Meilleur Espoir Féminin 1994 Casque bleu , 1988 Sans Peur et sans Reproche ,1985 Scout Toujours , 1984 Pinot simple flic . ¨Monsieur Batignole¨ at his best and a highly rated film . Better than average , worthwhile watching .

Despite enjoying a high-profile in France where he has been writing, directing and starring in films for 20 years, ex-Splendid member Gerard Jugnot remains virtually unknown outside his own country. As an actor only he is starring in 'Les Choristes' which opened in April and is still playing in several large salles in Paris in September. Clearly this year's 'Amelie' it has already been seen by well over one million people which SHOULD justify release abroad but distributors are queer cattle; we wait in London for 'Le Choristes' yet a piece of merde like 'Merci Dr. Rey' which played two weeks in ONE salle in Paris before being yanked has already been and gone in London leaving as much trace here as it did in Paris. Meanwhile this entry from 2002 shows Jugnot at his best in all three departments; he has written a good, solid well-made script, directed it to perfection and for good measure thrown in a leading performance as good as anything around. The setting is Paris under German Occupation. Edmond Batignole is a middle-aged hen-pecked butcher living with a wife, daughter and the daughter's fiancé, Jean-Pierre Lamour (Jean-Paul Rouve) an open collaborator who writes vitriolic articles for a fascist journal. At the outset a small boy crawls through a grating to steal a precious ham from the shop and when the theft is discovered Lamour is quick to point the finger at Simon Bernstein (Jules Sitruck) the small son of a Jewish doctor, who lives in a lavish apartment. By coincidence the Bernsteins en masse are just about to flee so for good measure Lamour places the telephone call which results in their arrest and subsequent detainment in Vel d'Hiv (Velodrome d'Hiver, a large stadium on the outskirts of Paris which was used at the time as a holding centre for Jewish detainees prior to their shipment to Germany).Given Lamour's connections the Batignole family are soon living in comparative luxury in the Bernstein's apartment and Batignole has a lucrative contract to supply meat to the German High Command. Then one day Batignole answers a ring on the doorbell to find young Simon Bernstein standing there. Having somehow managed to escape from Vel d'Hiv he has, not unnaturally, returned to his old home and is disconcerted to find it occupied. Against his better judgment Batignole hides the boy and brings him food then, learning from Simon that two female cousins, Sara and Guila Cohen, are being 'looked after' elsewhere in Paris, Batignole attempts to offload Simon on the same carer but to no avail. Things come to a head when Batignole brings food to Simon only to discover the two girls have joined him. Their raised voices attract the attention of Lamour who, after breaking down the door, reveals his intention of denouncing everyone, including his prospective father-in-law. During a heated exchange Lamour winds up slightly dead and Batignole flees with the children and eventually is able to leave them at the Swiss border where, after a moment's hesitation, he joins them. This is much more than the cross between Noel Coward's 'Fumed Oak' in which a hen-pecked husband finally leaves his wife, daughter and his country and Nevil Shute's 'Pied Piper' in which a middle-aged man caught in France in June, 1940, agrees to take two children back to England and winds up with seven, that it appears on first sight. The period detail is spot on and Jugnot has managed to coax brilliant performances from the three children, primarily Jules Sitruck as Simon. There's also a nice put-down which may appeal to French culture buffs. In addition to his articles Lamour is also an aspiring dramatist and whilst dining in a large restaurant he notices Sacha Guitry coming towards his table. He accosts the great man and reminds him that he (Lamour) sent him a play to read. Guitry speaks scathingly of the play and, stung, Lamour says 'You have insulted me', 'Yes', replies Guitry, 'but I don't do it for a living'. Until the distributors get real there is probably little chance of seeing this film other than on DVD and even then you'll have to buy it in France. In my opinion it is worth it. 8/10

Probably the best film I have seen so far this year. We recently screened it for our Film Festival Selection Committee and the response was near-unanimous - four stars. The previous commenter's accusations of "terminal cuteness" baffle me - this is the best good-old-fashioned solid three-act structure Hollywood movie I have seen in a long time - and it was made in France. The distributor claims that they cannot find an American distributor who will meet their terms - therefore, there are no plans for American release. If you can find it playing at your local Jewish Film Festival (about the only place you are likely to find it in the US - a shame, really, since it is not a film only for Jews)by all means buy your ticket and go.