Louis de Funès is one of the most famous French comedians and he has made several films in the comedy genre. One problem with his acting is that he is to much Funès sometimes, meaning that his over-energetic acting, with a use of similar phrases ("vite, vite, plus vite!") tend to make him somewhat 'tiring'.
In this film, this kind of acting works out well and he is also more 'nuanced', in our opinion.
Who is Rabbi Jacob (Marcel Dalio)? He is one of the most popular rabbis in New York and a veritable authority.
One day his family on the French side - the Schmolls - invite him to celebrate a bar mitzva in France. He leaves New York with his young friend and rabbi Samuel.
On the same time another man is on his way - not to the bar mitzva but to the wedding of his daughter: Victor Pivert (Louis de Funès). His daughter (Miou-Miou) will be married the next day.
When travelling in the car with his driver - the jewish Salomon (Henri Guybet) - Pivert displays all his bad manners and not least his xenophobia or racism.
He dislikes blacks, Jews, Germans, in short, all foreigners, something clearly manifested when he becomes frustrated over motorists not driving as "they should" (that is to say 'in the French way')!
The two have a car accident and when the car is turned upside down in the water and Solomon refuses to help Pivert, because of the shabbath, Solomon is fired.
Things are getting more and more complicated when an Arab revolutionist leader, Mohamed Larbi Slimane (Claude Giraud) is kidnapped by killers who works for his country's government with their leader Colonel Farés (Renzo Montagnani). Slimane is taken to an empty bubble gum factory and to the same factory Pivert arrives, searching for help. In a most complicated way, Pivert, involuntary, helps Slimane to flee.
As they happen to kill two of the Colonel's men, they are now being pursued by the police, alerted by Solomon.
Slimane forces Pivert to go to Orly airport in order to get a plane to Slimane´s country but they are now pursued, not only by the police, but by Pivert's jealous wife Germaine, who thinks he is leaving her for another woman, Colonel Farès and his killers, the police commissioner Andréani (Claude Piéplu) who thinks Pivert is a new Al Capone.
Slimane attacks the two rabbis Jacob and Samuel, disguise himself and Pivert as them and are being welcomed by rabbi Jacob's French part of the family, who haven't seen Jacob in many years and therefore doesn't understand that Pivert and Slimane are not Jacob or Samuel.
From now on, Pivert and Slimane are caught up in a situation they can't fully control (to say the least), not least when Samuel's fiancée falls in love with Slimane.
This film is not only a comedy but also an attempt to advocate multi-culturalism and at the same time opposing xenophobia and racism.
We get to meet different characters fom different countries: Pivert, being the French chauvinistic, rasist, secularized man; the Arab, muslim Slimane and the Jewish community, all with their own cultural heritage, traditions and history but all in the end coming to understand each other, 'making peace' on the micro level.
This is very clearly stated when Slimane and Salomon shake hands in the end.
Because of this plot, the film has been regarded as one of the best antiracial comedies in French film, up til then.
The message is very clear and on the same time, the director Gérard Oury, doesn't hesitate making fun of all the different characters and traditions, but in a most respectful way.
Of course we are being served clichés but this is necessary to keep the film within the comedy genre, not making it into a political manifesto.
It's regarded as one of the best French comedies and has become a cult film.
(Poster copied from: http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001DMW6G.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
In this film, this kind of acting works out well and he is also more 'nuanced', in our opinion.
Who is Rabbi Jacob (Marcel Dalio)? He is one of the most popular rabbis in New York and a veritable authority.
One day his family on the French side - the Schmolls - invite him to celebrate a bar mitzva in France. He leaves New York with his young friend and rabbi Samuel.
On the same time another man is on his way - not to the bar mitzva but to the wedding of his daughter: Victor Pivert (Louis de Funès). His daughter (Miou-Miou) will be married the next day.
When travelling in the car with his driver - the jewish Salomon (Henri Guybet) - Pivert displays all his bad manners and not least his xenophobia or racism.
He dislikes blacks, Jews, Germans, in short, all foreigners, something clearly manifested when he becomes frustrated over motorists not driving as "they should" (that is to say 'in the French way')!
The two have a car accident and when the car is turned upside down in the water and Solomon refuses to help Pivert, because of the shabbath, Solomon is fired.
Things are getting more and more complicated when an Arab revolutionist leader, Mohamed Larbi Slimane (Claude Giraud) is kidnapped by killers who works for his country's government with their leader Colonel Farés (Renzo Montagnani). Slimane is taken to an empty bubble gum factory and to the same factory Pivert arrives, searching for help. In a most complicated way, Pivert, involuntary, helps Slimane to flee.
As they happen to kill two of the Colonel's men, they are now being pursued by the police, alerted by Solomon.
Slimane forces Pivert to go to Orly airport in order to get a plane to Slimane´s country but they are now pursued, not only by the police, but by Pivert's jealous wife Germaine, who thinks he is leaving her for another woman, Colonel Farès and his killers, the police commissioner Andréani (Claude Piéplu) who thinks Pivert is a new Al Capone. Slimane attacks the two rabbis Jacob and Samuel, disguise himself and Pivert as them and are being welcomed by rabbi Jacob's French part of the family, who haven't seen Jacob in many years and therefore doesn't understand that Pivert and Slimane are not Jacob or Samuel.
From now on, Pivert and Slimane are caught up in a situation they can't fully control (to say the least), not least when Samuel's fiancée falls in love with Slimane.
This film is not only a comedy but also an attempt to advocate multi-culturalism and at the same time opposing xenophobia and racism.
We get to meet different characters fom different countries: Pivert, being the French chauvinistic, rasist, secularized man; the Arab, muslim Slimane and the Jewish community, all with their own cultural heritage, traditions and history but all in the end coming to understand each other, 'making peace' on the micro level.
This is very clearly stated when Slimane and Salomon shake hands in the end.
Because of this plot, the film has been regarded as one of the best antiracial comedies in French film, up til then.
The message is very clear and on the same time, the director Gérard Oury, doesn't hesitate making fun of all the different characters and traditions, but in a most respectful way.
Of course we are being served clichés but this is necessary to keep the film within the comedy genre, not making it into a political manifesto.
It's regarded as one of the best French comedies and has become a cult film.
(Poster copied from: http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001DMW6G.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
(Photo Louis de Funés covered in chewing gum, copied from: http://filmsdefrance.com/img/rabbi_jacob_6.jpg)
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