Summary
Pierre, Jacques and Michel are three free-living bachelors who share a luxury flat in
Paris. Their routine is abruptly disrupted when a baby girl is deposited on their
door step. Whilst Pierre, the unwitting father, enjoys a three week holiday in Thailand,
his flatmates are left holding the fort, taking turns to look after the baby. To
complicate matters, they then receive another strange package – a parcel containing hard
drugs…
Review
Now better known as the film which was remade into the American 1987 chart topper “3 Men
and a Baby”, Trois hommes et un couffin is both poignant and funny satire about
fatherhood, and is one of the most successful films ever made in France.
Although the plot is virtually identical to the American remake, the French treatment
is noticeably different and probably would not suit an American audience. When the
film starts, the arrival of the baby is a cause for bitter acrimony, heated arguments
and intense discomfort for the three bachelors. Yet, despite this, the three men
soon become attached to the infant and even end up arguing with each other over who should
attend to her. It is this emotional intensity which gives this film far, far more
credibility and impact than the American version, which sacrifices believability for some
cheap gags.
Although the French film has some terrific comic situations, the humour does not undermine
the real-life drama which is the film’s main focus. The film is about how three
hedonistic young men manage to cope with the obligations of fatherhood. Served by
three magnificent performances from its three lead actors, the film shows how the arrival
of a child can completely change their lives and their behaviour, calling into question
assumptions about the role of men in child raising.
With typically French subtlety, and with the minimum of sentimentality, Trois hommes
et un couffin is simultaneously an engaging, funny and thought-provoking piece of
cinema.
© James Travers 2001
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