Cabaret Paradis
2006 Comedy
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Credits
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Summary
Travelling performers Shirley and Dino cannot get to Paris fast enough when they learn
they have inherited a cabaret nightclub in Pigalle. What they see isn’t quite what
they had expected – a rundown building and a lacklustre show performed by untalented has-beens.
Worse, Manu, the owner of a neighbouring casino claims that he won the nightclub from
their gambling-addicted uncle. Shirley and Dino are not prepared to let these obstacles
deter them and so they put everything they have into making the nightclub a success.
Unfortunately, Manu is equally determined to get his hands on the nightclub…
Review
Popular cabaret act Corinne and Gilles Benizio, a.k.a. Shirley and Dino, make their cinematic
debut in a film that looks destined to be a cult classic. The duo’s brand of comedy
– a self-deprecating homage-cum-send-up of Musical Hall acts of the 1950s – proved to
be enormously successful in France, where they appear regularly on television variety
shows. The same comedy works surprisingly well on the big screen, and it certainly
makes a refreshingly clean alternative to the current, increasingly tedious, trend for
vulgarity. Whilst admittedly there’s not a great deal plot-wise, Cabaret
Paradis is one of those eccentric oddities that has universal appeal – stylish,
in a kitsch 1960s kind of way, and tirelessly funny. The film relies heavily on
the talent and charisma of its two leads – who also wrote and directed the film – but,
when you’ve seen Shirley and Dino in action, that’s no bad thing. A wonderfully
diverting piece of fun.
© James Travers 2006 Write a review for this film... |
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