Fantôme avec chauffeur
1996 Fantasy / Comedy
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Credits
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Summary
Georges Morel, chauffeur to the wealthy industrialist Philippe Bruneau-Teissier, is gunned
down by unknown assassins just after he discovers he has won a fortune on the national
lottery. A short while later, his employer is also killed, by his unscrupulous business
partner, Édouard Martigues. The two murdered men find themselves still in
the land of the living - but, as ghosts, can only observe, not involve themselves in what
they see. Morel is appalled to find that his girlfriend has a secret lover, who
is intent on recuperating the lottery money, whilst Teissier is preoccupied with his son
and bringing Martigues to justice. If only the two dead men could find some way
to communicate with the living...
Review
Directed by Gérard Oury, scripted by Francis Veber and starring the eternally magnificent
Philippe Noiret, Fantôme avec chauffeur could have been one of the best French
comic films of the 1990s. Instead, it is a rather hackneyed, undisciplined
romp - albeit an occasionally amusing one - in the fantasy-comedy genre, clearly intended
to fill cinema theatres rather than make any profound artistic statement.
The film makes great use of special effects but, whilst these are realised with great
skill and imagination, they do become intrusive and, at times, irritating, as the film
progresses.
With its boisterous comic book feel, simplistic characterisation, and trashy Americanised sentimentality, the film appears to be aimed at children, although the quintessentially French sex comedy elements would seem to belie this. The film is entertaining in parts - thanks mainly to the efforts of its lead actors, Philippe Noiret and Gérard Jugnot - but its awkward mélange of genres, over-dependence on special effects and stomach-churning Disney-style ending are unlikely to be appreciated by true connoisseurs of French cinema. © James Travers 2003 Write a review for this film... |
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