Jean-Philippe (2006)

That was an excellent one.

Just perfect...

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Just seen this film on a long flight like a previous commentator. Know Lucchini as an actor who I can't abide but who makes good, perhaps great, films. Saw L'Homme du Train and was surprised by Hallyday but all rock stars have one good film in them (performance, The man who fell to earth, o lucky man, PG and Billy the Kid etc). But I found myself being utterly seduced by this film. There are twists and turns that are far too cute but the film just survives them. Hollywood claims to be the capital of feel-good sentimentality but I'm afraid, as in too many things but not as many as the French think, this trumps those films with Gallic ease. This will join 'Le Bonheur est dans le pre' as one of those films to reach for when the none too subtle indignities of everyday life reach an intensity that some sort of brief and simple escape is necessary. I've even started to listen to Hallyday's songs! For this film to have had such an extreme effect it must be at least bearable.

This is a cute comedy in which a sweet loser named Fabrice winds up in an alternate universe where the rock star he lives for, Johhny Hallyday, never became famous.Along with the gentle entertainment, I found it to be a great introduction to a musical world I knew nothing about.Spoiler Part - I'm not sure if this is really a spoiler. French audiences will know that in our world, Johnny Hallyday and some others in the movie are playing themselves, genuine famous people. This surprised me when I discovered it at the very end of the movie because Johnny for example, did a terrific job of acting.

I didn't expected to see such a good movie! First I must say i'm not a Johnny Hallyday fan, though I respect him for the energy and strength he has. It's a brilliant comedy, with a great Fabrice Luchini, and a Johnny Hallyday that is not totally in its own character, and that gives here one of its greatest film. The idea of the scenario is very well found, but for a non-french person, this movie may seem weird, as one must know the unique "role" Johnny has in french music. For many, as the character played by Luchini, he's the greatest french singer of all times. That may be true, or not, but it's this uniqueness of Johnny that gives a sense to that movie.

Let's be honest: Johnny Hallyday may be a great singer and songwriter for some (and I honestly like some of his songs very much), but he's not an actor. As in this movie he has to play himself most of the time, this shouldn't be too much of a problem, but it is. His play is flat, as is Luchini's, who isn't funny enough to pull the audience through this annoyingly foreseeable screenplay (although the basic idea behind it is quite interesting). If you like either Johnny or Luchini, you might enjoy this. If you want to spend an evening laughing - this is not going to do it. It let me chuckle several times, but never laugh. This is a waste - in production money, and in the money you spend to see it.