Film Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest movie, “Micmacs” has just been released, which for those that enjoyed Amelie (French Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated) can expect another whimsical movie set in a surreal and fantastical world. With a tongue in cheek stab at the arms industry Micmacs certainly delves a lot deeper. The movie focuses on a video store clerk called Bazil (Dany Boon) who accidentally gets shot in the head in a drive-by shooting. Needless to say, he survives, but the bullet is left in his head with the possibility of death left lurking over him.
On leaving hospital he is left destitute with little hope, but all this changes with the arrival on the scene of Slammer (Jean Pierre Mareille) who introduces him to an interesting group of unlikely social misfits who live a bohemian style existence in a shelter where things go on that are more akin to a Tim Burton film: walking tables and all manner of strange contraptions put together from the scrap heaps of Paris.
Our unlikely hero takes it upon himself to take revenge upon the arms dealers that not only manufactured the bullet that has left him in this current situation but were also responsible for the landmine that killed his father. Of course, his new friends are on hand to assist in this vengence. They all make a strange bunch, not that far removed from the Toystory characters which apparently inspired Jeunet. They have a range of interesting attributes which include contortionism, human calculator and human cannonball. They are all put to good use.
The film has had good reviews overall. Jeunet was actually working on “Life of Pi” but the budget didn’t stretch far enough, a real shame as he seems to be the perfect director to cover such a book.
Video Interview
Ratings:
Timeout: 3/5
Lovefilm: 4/5
IMDB: 7.4/10
Cast
* Dany Boon, Bazil
* Dominique Pinon, Fracasse
* André Dussollier, Nicolas Thibault De Fenouillet
* Jean-Pierre Marielle, Placard
* Julie Ferrier, La Môme Caoutchouc
* Yolande Moreau, Tambouille
* Michel Crémadès, Petit Pierre
* Nicolas Marié, François Marconi
* Omar Sy, Remington
* Marie-Julie Baup, Calculette
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