Le sens de l’humour/Dir: Emile Gaudreault,Written by E.Gaudreault et B.Pelletier - A more than solid comedy
I actually viewed this, on a strike day at the college where I was. Yeah, you know I’m still an eternal student of everything, especially for computers and the web, and computers, and what not. Every class lecture was suspended, until due notice. Otherwise, I could have decided to go into the building, and finish some dire school work, that I really need to put on the rails. Sometimes, I pressure myself to do it, because I just feel the need to get things done, and to get anything done, any wich way I can. In the best of possible worlds, what I surely needed was a comedy when I was stuck back home doing pretty much close to nothing, being the fact that I got an email saying that the school was closed. Well that’s certainly it, the entire world of students is infuriated to kingdom come. Everyone feels that they’re in dire straits, and the bad times are only getting worse. Christ someone should make a documentary about this, and it doesn’t need to be Michael Moore. Give some other guy the chance to win an Oscar or a Golden Palm for best documentary or best film.
Being stuck home, I watched Le sens de l’humour. Gaudreault’s film was well worth my time, as it made me forget in it’s quasi-perfect efficiency the turmoils I had with the outside world. It’s only in this film, that Gaudreault’s direction comes across in the style of a great comedy director, Blake Edwards. Benoit Brière plays in a touching and beautiful humanity that can move deeply anyone, a stand-up comedian, Marco Fortier, who is in constant conflict with people’s cynism and disdain for his own goodwill. Lous-José Houde plays Luc Dubé, a “misunderstood genius” of a comedian, who is ironically short of having some genius, but is only disabused and embittered. In the end, when he is on tour, with Marco, Dubé can only scoff at Marco’s gleefulness and naivety, that passes easily for simplicity of the simple-minded, could it be for Marco’s humor for stand-up or the person himself. I must admit Louis-José Houde is quite good, to portray that irritating disdain. Michel Côté is impeccable in any comedy, but in this one he shows a versatility that I’ve never seen before, being in a role that mixes at every whim, social drama and comedy, like no one’s business in a Gaudreault script. That is way, Côté’s talent is absolutely mind-boggling, and reasonably, Côté does have an international career, making Québec, and French films. Although, it was good to see Anne Dorval in a different rôle. Well maybe good for some, but to me, it’s only refreshing. Dorval didn’t have much of a character to work with, but you do get the feeling that she was in this film, while not acting, but being herself. She toned everything down, the quirkiness, the eccentricity, the hysteria and the intensity. It’s really how I like her now, because I don’t reasonably love affectation, in my great actresses. Newcomer Évelyne Gélinas has a promising first start, being the tempestuously sad, sister of Luc, Juliette, overcome and incapacited by her own neurosis.
Gaudreault has made an actor’s comedy, that delves quite superficially in psychology, being the ludicrous and ridiculous out of mental illness or traumatism. In regard of it’s writing, for a comedy, it ranks along with Buck Henry, Blake Edwards. Although the writing style, could it be in dialogue or in the action, closely ressembles Blake Edwards, in every aspect.
A much enjoyable film.
4.7*/5
M.L
Le 12 novembre 2011
