Grégoire Moulin contre l'humanité

If I had to give my opinion about this movie, I would say this: it is the meeting between "Amélie Poulain" (2001) and the Podalydès brothers' cinema. A shy and unassuming man would like to charm a woman, Odile. For this, he stole her wallet so as to arrange a date with her. She accepts. But what Grégoire doesn't know is that a series of unexpected events and disasters will turn his night into a nightmare. As we can see by reading this summary, the story rests on comparatively classical bases and Artus de Penguern (both the director and the main actor) told it with a zany and fanciful humor that gives birth to whacky comical situations. The meeting of two peaks of the French cinema (I must however admit that although I'm not very fond of "Amélie Poulain", I enjoy the Podalydès brothers' films) should give an entertaining success. But however, the movie doesn't work. All right, the comical sequences follow on from each other without injury times. All right, the presence of dreamlike sequences enables to lighten the movie (when Odile identifies with Mme Bovary). In another extent, through Grégoire's trouble, we can detect a caricature of French people who are (a little too) fond of football. A passion that can lead them to madness. The mayonnaise isn't thickening because there is too much ponderousness and not enough subtlety in Penguern's style. Because of this irritating fault that harms the film, it is difficult to laugh honestly and Odile should have crossed the street to reveal her love for Grégoire from the beginning. This latter wouldn't probably have known so much trouble...

This clumsy film was Penguern's first movie. Maybe, will he improve his style in next movies in the future.