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6.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Jim la houlette remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly? Only if you have a massive soft spot for mid-century French farce or you’re currently working your way through a Fernandel completionist run. If you’re looking for high-stakes thrills, look elsewhere. If you want to see a man try to look tough while wearing a coat that clearly doesn't fit him, you’re in the right place.
The whole thing is built on a premise that’s basically a lie piled on top of another lie. Bretonneau, the author, is insufferable. Watching him bully Moluchet into becoming a fake criminal is more exhausting than it is funny. But then Fernandel shows up.
There’s this specific moment where he’s trying to hold a pose—like he’s some dangerous outlaw—and his face just does that thing where he looks like he’s smelling something slightly off in the room. It’s hilarious. You can tell he’s the only one really trying to sell the bit.
It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Un chien qui rapporte, where the absurdity is just sort of... hanging there. It doesn’t demand you take it seriously, which is a relief. The plot about the stolen manuscript is just a clothesline to hang jokes on.
Some of the supporting cast are clearly just there to stand in doorways and look confused. It works, though. It gives the movie this weird, staged feeling, almost like a play that accidentally got filmed. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but it’s got a personality.
That scene near the end in the café? It goes on for about two minutes too long, and you can see the background actors just kind of shifting their weight, waiting for the director to yell cut. It’s charming in a 'they clearly didn't have the budget to do another take' kind of way. 🤷♂️
Don't look for deep meaning here. It’s just Fernandel being a goofball, and sometimes, that’s all you really need on a Tuesday night.