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5.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Bric à Brac et compagnie remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have an hour to spare and don't mind scratchy, old-timey audio, Bric à Brac et compagnie is actually a total blast. You will probably hate this if you need a clean plot or high-definition visuals, but anyone who loves dusty French history will find it charming. 🏺
The whole setup is incredibly simple. A wealthy antique dealer is totally fed up with his lazy son, so he dumps him right in the middle of a chaotic outdoor market to sell junk.
It's basically the 1930s French version of making your spoiled kid get a job at the local grocery store. It reminds me a bit of The Fresh Heir, except this movie has way more dirt and yelling.
Honestly, the best part of the movie isn't even the story. It's just looking at all the weird, useless stuff piled up on the wooden tables.
You see old broken clocks, dented birdcages, and strange metal gears that probably didn't even work back then. I spent half the movie just squinting at the background trying to guess what the junk was.
The director, André Chotin, doesn't try to make anything look pretty. The market feels crowded, loud, and slightly damp, which is exactly how a real flea market should feel. 🌧️
Speaking of Fernandel, he isn't even the main character here, but his face is just so impossibly expressive. He has this giant, goofy grin that takes up about eighty percent of the screen whenever he smiles.
Even when he is just standing in the background, you can't help but look at him. His energy is so different from the rest of the cast, who are mostly playing it like a standard stage play.
The romantic subplot is where the movie gets a bit silly. The son is supposed to learn how to work, but instead he just falls for this girl who is basically the real "treasure" of the market.
She is about ten times smarter than him. While he stands there looking totally confused by basic math, she is busy running circles around the local buyers like a pro from The Auctioneer.
There is this one reaction shot of the son staring at her that lingers for so long it becomes funny. He just looks completely blank, like his brain stopped working mid-scene. 🧠
The editing is also super choppy in places. Sometimes a scene just cuts off right in the middle of someone talking, probably because the original film strip was damaged over the years.
It doesn't really matter though because the movie never takes itself seriously. It's just a light, breezy watch that makes you want to go buy a dusty old lamp from a stranger.
IMDb 7.2
1915
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