Micmacs – An eOne Films’ Release

http://www.sonyclassics.com/micmacs/

DVD Release Date: September 7th, 2010

Rated 14A for sexual content and violence

Running time: 105 minutes

Jean-Pierre Jeunet (dir.)

Jean-Pierre Jeunet (scenario)

Guillaume Laurant (scenario & dialogue)

Raphaël Beau (music)

Dany Boon as Bazil

André Dussollier as Nicolas Thibault de Fenouillet

Nicolas Marié as François Marconi

Jean-Pierre Marielle as Placard

Our reviews below:

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Micmacs DVD Review By John C.

**** (out of 4)

Jean-Pierre Jeunet might be best known for his whimsical and brilliant Amelie, but his latest, Micmacs, is a film that deserves just as much attention.  When Bazil gets a bullet lodged in his brain, he is stuck living on the street only making money through his mime-like busking.  But when he’s taken in to live with a group of odd but endearing street performers, he is finally able to devise a plan to take down the sleazy weapons manufactures that killed his father and damaged his brain.  Told with much visual humour, Micmacs is nothing short of immensely entertaining, yet thought-provoking brilliance.

As expected from a Jeunet film, the whole cast is perfect and Dany Boon gives a brilliant performance as Bazil, offering up a type of physical comedy in a similar vein as Charlie Chaplin or Mr. Bean. In a highly appealing way, the film is also a sharp satire of the French weapons industry, all rounding out a package that is unbelievably fun to watch.  Subtlety is hard when praising a film this visual, so I shall have to conclude by simply saying je t’aime Micmacs.

The Blu-ray includes an interview with Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

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Micmacs DVD Review By Erin V.

**** (Out of 4)

Micmacs starts with a flashback to when main character Bazil (Dany Boon) was a kid, and his father was killed in a land mine accident in the service.  Years later, while working at a video store, Bazil is hit in the head by a stray bullet.  Losing his job, he is discovered as a busker on the street, by a group of misfits who live together at a local junkyard using found things to invent trinkets.  But it’s when he comes across the manufacturers of the land mine that took his father’s life, and the bullet that nearly took his, that he vows to get them back, and finds his newfound ‘family’ is more than happy to assist.

Micmacs is a very well done, hilarious, and quirky film.  I love the soundtrack, and at times, a lot of the story has just the music with the action on-screen.  This being said, even when there is dialogue, the subtitles are easy enough to read even quickly.

Definitely, if you enjoyed Jeunet’s previous work, Amélie, you will want to check out Micmacs.  This caper film is more than worth it.

The extra on the disc is an interview with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, which is interesting and not too long to watch right after the film.

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Micmacs DVD Review By Nicole

**** (out of 4)

Micmacs is the newest quirky comedy from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet.  The film begins with a flashback to 1979 when Bazil, the hero of the film, was a kid.  That year, Bazil’s father was killed by a land mine while in the army.  Now, in the 21st century, Bazil is hit in the head by a criminal’s stray bullet.  After losing his job, as well as his home, he discovers the headquarters of the two weapons dealers who created the stray bullet and the landmine.  Bazil gets together with a ragtag group of eccentric folks who have created a secret home at the dump out of found objects.  This quirky bunch includes a record-breaking human cannonball, a woman who can twist like a pretzel, and an amazing inventor of wonderful mechanical characters.  Bazil and his quirky friends work together to take down the two weapons dealers that have caused Bazil and others so much grief.

Micmacs is inventive, visually stunning, and a feel good film all the way.  The characters are really likable. Micmacs feels much like a comic book film, in its fast paced action and misfit characters.  Everything about this film works.  Buy this one, as you will want to see it again and again.

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Micmacs DVD Review By Maureen

**** (out of 4)

Micmacs, the latest film by french director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is hard to describe because it really must be seen to appreciate how creatively brilliant and amusing it really is.

The story follows Bazil (Dany Boon) a man whose father was killed by a landmine when Bazil was six.  Years later Bazil has the misfortune of being struck in the forehead by an errant bullet leaving his cognitive functioning permanently different.  After losing his job Bazil finds himself in the company of other misfits who function as a surrogate family.  Together the group work out a plan to help Bazil with his big mission – to seek revenge on both the bullet manufacture and the company that created the landmine.

The madcap plan the group employs using old junk is both simplistic and ingenious.  The cast of characters are so much fun to watch ranging from a human calculator, an elastic woman and a former human cannon ball.  They are all completely odd but believable real.  The talented actors are some of the same actors that were in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Oscar-winning film, Amelie.  They are equally brilliant in Micmacs.  Dany Boon is especially good as Bazil.

Micmacs is so much fun I didn’t mind reading subtitles.  This movie is pure quirky genius.  It’s worth watching more than once to catch all the little details.

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Micmacs DVD Review By Tony

***1/2 (out of 4)

Micmacs (Capers) is the latest film from French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. As the film opens we see a sapper blown up in North Africa by a land mine in 1979. The film then jumps to the present where his son Bazil (Dany Boon) is hit by a stray bullet that lodges in his forehead. After recovering he finds both his flat and job are gone, so he lives on the streets until he is invited to join a “family” of clochards (street people).  The  characters in their marvelous junkyard lair each have their own special talents, to which Bazil’s ingenuity at dumpster diving is a welcome addition. While on his rounds he discovers the manufacturer of the land mine that killed his father is across the street from its rival firm that made the bullet in his head.  He hatches an elaborate plot to take them both down.

Like his previous film Amélie, Jeunet has populated Micmacs with a brilliant French cast in well-drawn quirky roles. The plot manages to combine the intrigue of Mission Impossible or an Oceans film with Defendor gadgetry and absurd cartoon-like humour throughout, while satirizing the ruthless French arms industry that will sell to anyone who can pay.  Homage to the producers at Warner Brothers is shown in several ways, from the classic Max Steiner scored black and white opening credits through various clips from film noir and cartoon classics. A richly warm colour palette adds to the atmosphere, as does the fine background score with its ever-present accordion.

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Consensus: Both physical comedy and sharp satire of the French weapons industry, Micmacs is another film that is unbelievably fun and entertaining to watch from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Micmacs is a must see. **** (Out of 4)