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Fanfan la Tulipe
2003 History Adventure Comedy
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Credits
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Director: Gérard Krawczyk
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Script: Luc Besson, Jean Cosmos
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Photo: Gérard Simon
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Music: Alexandre Azaria
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Cast: Vincent Perez (Fanfan la Tulipe),
Penélope Cruz (Adeline La Franchise),
Didier Bourdon (Louis XV),
Hélène de Fougerolles (Madame de Pompadour),
Michel Muller (Tranche Montagne),
Philippe Dormoy (Fier-à-bras),
Jacques Frantz (La Franchise),
Gérald Laroche (Corsini),
Guillaume Gallienne (La Houlette),
Gilles Arbona (Le maréchal),
Jean-Pol Dubois (L'aumônier),
Yves Pignot (Guillaume)
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Country: France
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Language: French
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Runtime: 97 min
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Summary
To escape marriage to a farmer’s daughter, Fanfan la Tulipe falls into the welcome arms
of a recruiting sergeant for Louis XV’s army. Fanfan believes that by starting a
military career he will end up marrying one of the king’s daughters. At least this
is what a mischievous gypsy, Adeline, has told him…
Review
This insipid remake of a 1952
classic starring Gérard Philipe and Gina Lollobrigida was produced and directed
by the same team that brought us Taxi
2 and it is clearly intended for the same audience. Luc Besson’s shallow
comic book humour decimates what would otherwise have been a pretty mediocre script and
Gérard Krawczyk’s direction lacks the inspired touch of his earlier works.
Serious enthusiasts of the French historical drama are advised to go elsewhere; this one’s
for alcopop-saturated teenagers.
Vincent Perez does a pretty good job as the eponymous swashbuckling hero, but his
overly choreographed fight scenes look increasingly camp as the film progresses, to the
extent that you almost expect him to break into a version of the Monty Python “Lumberjack
Song” at any moment (well, it would explain Fanfan’s reluctance to get married…).
Penélope Cruz’s performance has the flatness and texture of an anorexic pancake,
although, to be fair, the dialogue she is given is pretty atrocious and would probably
turn a greater actress than she to stone. The one area where the film does just
about pass muster is its handful of action scenes – the fights are energetic and exciting,
albeit needlessly gory (in the Grand Guignol sense).
Whilst the jokes are generally
awful (and would even make an alcopop-saturated teenager cringe), there are a few places
where the comedy works well. Didier Bourbon gives an interesting – and entertaining
– interpretation of Louis XV, whilst Hélène de Fougerolles is divine in
the part of Madame de Pompadour. It may lack the panache, wit and intelligence of
Christian-Jaque’s 1952 film, but this blockbuster remake does at least have a few things
going for it.
© James Travers 2005
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