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THE PEOPLE
vs THE CRITICS Unless the anticipated European theatrical releases take place this summer, all of us who live outside Quebec will have to wait for the DVD to come out to see this film. Meanwhile, what can we learn from those who have seen it already? Well, this depends on whether you believe the CRITICS or THE PEOPLE. The CRITICS were far from impressed. Those who reviewed it, and many didn’t bother, averaged around 2 stars. The main target of their contempt was the overacting of the French actors (Anémone and Michel Muller), implicitly or explicitly blamed on the direction, with the clichéd script taking a good share of the flak. A definite thumbs down from the Quebec guardians of taste. Cut to THE PEOPLE who are apparently wired entirely differently from their journalistic counterparts. Are we talking about the same film? Perhaps hooked on the flood of comedies that filled the vacuum that came in the wake of The Great Year of Quebecois Cinema (i.e. 2003), The People lapped it up. Online film sites such as Voir and Cinéma Montréal recorded the equivalent of 4 or 4½ stars. Cinéma Montréal gives a useful demographic breakdown (data has been adjusted to * equivalents) :
Analysis: Adults of both sexes were the most cynical, but even they managed a very creditable 4 stars. Teens were tickled pink, while Silver Cinephiles presumably thought they’d got their money’s worth. Behind these figures there are a few 1’s but a predominance of top marks – not much in the middle. They either loved it or hated it. But on one point, everyone is in agreement – Roy was a revelation in this comedic role. Critics and non-believers (I’m not a fan of Roy Dupuis but …) alike are full of praise for his performance. Make that ‘performances’. From an artistic viewpoint, the crucial question remains : What was a highly respected and consummate professional like Roy Dupuis doing here? Having fun, apparently. Maybe that’s what you need when you’ve just died 7 times and lost your memory. Be sure to check out all the links to capture the full C’est pas moi … c’est l’autre experience. |
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Film notes courtesy of
Famous Québec
POLICE ACADEMY It’s no secret: Roy Dupuis can move faster than his shadow. But never has a film required him to be so continuously available. According to director Alain Zaloum, you can count the number of scenes he’s not in on the fingers of one hand. “He was lucky to get a day off.” The film recounts the trials of an inept thief who, in order to avoid the mafia, assumes the identity of his twin brother, a Montreal policeman. Dupuis, who plays both twins in the story, told us: “We had only 25 days of shooting and I was there full-time. It was a bit exhausting, but I’m happy with the friends I made. Break the piggy bank Who said that a Quebecois film could only see the light of day with finance provided by Téléfilm Canada and SODEC? An extremely rare feat in the industry: the five million dollar budget for this Canada/France/UK co-production was raised without the aid of the two government bodies. First French kiss Born in Egypt, director Alain Zaloum has lived in Montreal since the age of two. Even though he has directed a half-dozen feature films (Promise Her Anything, Suspicious Minds) C’est pas moi, c’est l’autre is his first film shot in French. It’s also the first of his films to get an impressive theatrical release. Speaking to Famous Québec, he explains his anxiety: “I’ve made all my films in Montreal, but mostly with American actors. These were mostly direct-to-video films. I’m not used to so much media attention.” Creole 101 As well as lending his talent as a composer to the film’s original soundtrack, Luck Mervil had a good time teaching Roy Dupuis a little Creole. And if you think that these language lessons were only to pass the time between takes, think again. The screenplay required it: “I play a likeable tramp who talks to his pal (Roy Dupuis) in Creole,” explains Mervil. “Everyone thinks that his friend can’t understand him because he’s white.” Shaking up the diversity of contemporary Montreal, the film brings together several French “dialects”. As well as Creole, we find Quebecois, Marseillaise, Parisian and Belgian! Figure that out … Quick on the draw A mere nine days – that’s the short lead-time that the preproduction team had to plan the shoot. Director Alain Zaloum explains: “Everything was done very quickly; the choice of crew, the locations etc…. As soon as we had the finance we had to dive in quickly because otherwise we would have risked losing Roy or Lucie or Luck … It was the only time that everyone was available.” Split between Europe and Quebec, postproduction was also carried out in record time. << Not entirely by choice, apparently. Distributors Equinoxe suddenly decided that they were going for a Christmas release, instead of February as the director had envisaged - viv>> A laugh at last Eight years after the unhappy shambles of J’en Suis, our national Ovila returns to comedy, a genre which he rarely undertakes. Alain Zaloum leaves us with this bold promise: “I believe that we’re going to see a Roy Dupuis that we’ve never seen before!” Does that mean that he’s going to keep his clothes on for the whole film? Patrolwoman for a day To do credit to the uniform, Lucie Laurier spent a day with the real police in order to get a better understanding of the aspects of the job, particularly handling a gun. The actress was delighted with this role reversal: “I’ve often played young girls, the romantic interest…. I really wanted to do something different.” Audition svp Actors Roy Dupuis, Lucie Laurier, Anémone and Luck Mervil were all hired without an audition. The supporting roles were cast at a furious rate; the casting director managing to choose more than a dozen actors in a single day. |
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