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Mon oncle Benjamin
1969 History / Comedy
Review
Jacques Brel clearly relishes his role as an amiable swashbuckling Don
Juan in this entertaining historical farce and throws himself into the
part body and soul. The film was directed by Edouard Molinaro,
who would later work with Brel on another popular comedy, L’Emmerdeur
(1973), before scoring a major hit with his cult film La Cage aux folles
(1978). Whilst Brel is rightly best known for his work as
a singer, he was also a very capable actor with a strong screen
presence, as this film amply
demonstrates.Boasting some impressive production values, Mon oncle Benjamin doesn’t take itself too seriously, and whilst the plot does drag a little in a few places, it is, overall an enjoyable romp. Admittedly, the reckless use of the whip zoom does become a little tiresome after a while, but every young filmmaker should be allowed one or two indulgences, and there are worse sins than giving your audience recurring bouts of nausea. On a more positive note, the film has an impressive cast, which includes the wonderful Bernard Blier and the beautiful Claude Jade, the latter of whom had just made a name for herself in François Truffaut’s Baisers volés (1968). © James Travers 2008 Write a review for this film... User Comments
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Director:
Edouard Molinaro
Starring: Jacques Brel, Claude Jade, Bernard Alane, Rosy Varte, Paul Frankeur Synopsis
France, 1750. Benjamin Rathery is a young doctor whose reputation
as a skirt chaser is as widely known as his generosity towards the poor
folk of his town. He is in love with Manette, the innkeeper’s
beautiful daughter. However, she has no intention of giving in to
Benjamin until she sees the marriage contract, and he is
strangely reluctant to give up his bachelor lifestyle...
Credits
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