Sydney ’16: Saint Amour review: A comedy cracker from writing and directing Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern.
Sideways goes French in this quirky new comedy which stars Gérard Depardieu as a widowed farmer who’s willing to go to the lengths and breadths of rural France to bond with his son.
Saint Amour is the latest feature from writing and directing duo Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern, a fantastic, funny, farcical effort that delights from the first sip. Depardieu is Jean, a bull breeder from the country who is attending the annual horticulture show in Paris along with his son Bruno (Benoît Poelvoorde), who would much rather be getting pissed that showing off their bull, Nabuchodonosor. With a few days to spare before the judging of their prized breeding bull, Bruno convinces Jean to hit the road to go on an impromptu wine tour. They hire the services of Paris taxi driver Mike (Vincent Lacoste), and hit the road for a couple of days of sampling the fruits of the land in the hope that Jean manages to motivate Bruno to take more interest in the family business. As the title suggests, the film is as much about love as well as the love of great wine, and the trio find themselves in all sorts of sticky situations as they pass through each region.
Saint Amour tickles from the opening frames. Delépine and Kervern’s script is gloriously witty, coarse and totally inappropriate. There are sight gags tagged onto a brilliantly written one-liners, delivered perfectly from the fllm’s trio of lead actors.
This is easily Depardieu’s best performance in years, and perhaps his best comedic performance to date, though it is Benoît Poelvoorde’s Bruno that truly steals the show, as the probably alcoholic, lonely big kid with a heart, and he plays it wonderfully. He steals most of the scenes that he’s in, a stand-out moment being his description of the ten stages of drunkenness, which is a wonderfully edited, cracking comedy sequence.
Delépine and Kervern’s 2016 feature is one of those rare films that break international borders with its universal comedy appeal, despite it being presented in its native tongue. We fear that it has English language remake material written all over it, which is a shame, because if you over look this film just because its told in a foreign language to yours, you’ll be missing out on an absolute comedy gem.
C’est magnifique.
Saint Amour review by Paul Heath, February 2016.
Currently playing at the Sydney Film Festival, Saint Amour will be screening during the Edinburgh Film Festival on the 25th June 2016.
