Click photo to enlarge
Patrick Timsit (right) and Richard Berry in 'A Pain In The
Ass'.
No new take on bumbling farce...
> A Pain in the Ass
Director: Francis Veber
Cast: Richard Berry, Patrick Timsit, Pascal Elbe,
Virginie Ledoyen, Laurent Paolini, Michel Aumont, Cedric
Chevalme, Laurie Lefret
Rating: (M)
3 stars (out of 5)
Review by Mark Orton
In a similar vein to Judd Apatow's output, French director
Francis Veber (The Dinner Game, The Valet) has crafted
a body of work that seldom deviates from bumbling farce.
As the originator of 1973 play L'emmerdeur, on which A
Pain in the Ass is based, Veber again illustrates how
easy it is to generate laughs; just this time he resurrects
the stencil that started it all.
With his conveyor-belt approach to film-making, Veber's
strength lies in putting familiar characters with extremely
expressive faces into barely believable scenarios. Indeed,
Patrick Timsit makes yet another appearance, this time as a
love-sick photographer (Francois Pignon) on the verge of
suicide.
Checking into a hotel overlooking the courthouse in
Montpellier, Pignon unwittingly becomes embroiled in a
contract hit being planned by Jean Milan (Richard Berry) from
the room next door.
Waiting to shoot a key witness in a gangland trial, Milan
agrees to look after Pignon to avoid raising any suspicion
with hotel staff. His steely exterior suggests it won't be
long before he puts the annoying Pignon out of his misery,
but Pignon has other plans.
For a suicidal wreck, he develops a strange resilience, while
Berry's fortitude is tested with every farcical gag.
The success of this situation comedy rests on the viewer
knowing more than the characters, and some amusing moments of
sadistic black humour. Veber having penned the original, his
reluctance to freshen up the scenario is puzzling.
Best thing: The performances - Berry and Timset are on
top form as the unlikeliest of friends.
Worst thing: The ending. With all the work done to set
up the characters, a little more of a twist would have been
nice.
See it with: No knowledge of the original or the first
remake, Buddy Buddy.
