Movie Review - Micmacs à tire-larigot

It's not often I attend the world premiere of any movie let alone one directed by a director whose work I have admired for so long, Jean-Pierre Jeunet. So it was on a blustery Tuesday night at the Toronto International Film Festival that I ended up at Roy Thompson Hall to see his first feature in 5 years, Micmacs à tire-larigot.

Director Jeunet and star of the film Dany Boon were both in attendance to introduce the movie and received a warm welcome from a clearly excited Toronto audience and while there was no Q&A it was a real thrill to watch the first showing to a 'proper' audience with the filmmaker just a few seats away.

The movie takes us back to Jeunet's native Paris for the tale of Bazil (Boon) whose father is killed by a landmine manufactured by a local arms manufacturer. As if this wasn't bad enough Bazil grows up and gets accidentally shot in the head (survives with bullet lodged in skull!) by that arms dealers main competitor. On losing his job at his local video store due to the drive by shooting Bazil finds himself homeless in the streets of Paris eking out a living anyway he can. It is then he is introduced to the a unique band of characters with whom he settles in with to try and plot his revenge against the two arms dealers.

The film was written by Jeunet himself and writing co-hort Guillaume Laurant, with whom he also co-wrote A Very Long Engagement and City of Lost Children. There is literally no point in trying to outline the plot which has more twists and turns and amazing moments in it that any film I have seen recently. It is a quintessential Jeunet film offering us his signatures colors, Paris at it's most vibrant, quirky yet likable characters and a palpable sense of joy throughout the film. If you are familiar with Amelie (and I have to assume most of you are) you will recognize a number of returning faces that are part of the directors 'film-family' and it wouldn't be a Jean Pierre Jeunet movie without Dominique Pinon who in Micmacs plays Fracasse, the famed human canon-ball of 1977!

Dany Boon who last year starred in the most successful French movie in France to date, Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis, does a great job of getting the tone just right as the lead and while it will likely be his performance that gets the press, the success of Micmacs for me was that it was a perfectly executed ensemble piece. From his new found group of friends to the manic portrayals of both heads of the arms companies there really isn't a weak performance to be found.

I tried my hardest to be objective going into this as an obvious fan of the directors previous work but I'm afraid I still can't help but be utterly delighted by this movie. While it doesn't have the impact that Audrey Tautou supplied in 2001's Amelie (her character was just so memorable) it is still the work of a filmmaker and writer at the very top of his game. At the rate Jeunet works we will likely have to wait another four or five years for his next movie so get out there and catch Micmacs when it goes on what will likely be a limited release. I will certainly be watching it again when it opens back home in Phoenix because there are very few films that will give you this much guaranteed joy and pleasure.

Rating: *****

Movie Review - Micmacs à tire-larigot