Zazie in the Subway

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Audience Member Great French film, what an excellent job and recordings. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Funny and surreal. This is an entertaining and creative movie. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member A strange and intoxicating fun-fest of a film. Makes me long to be a part of its kinetic and eccentric madness. A memorable chase through the streets of a Paris gone by. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Manic, nearly anarchic, comedy from Louis Malle (only his third feature) that sees a cute and precocious 10-year-old running around Paris being chased by various adults. She's been left with her uncle (Philippe Noiret) who seems to be a drag queen at a nightclub (although married to lovely Albertine, played by Carla Marlier). Zazie's main pursuer is Trouscaillon (Vittorio Caprioli) who takes on various roles but is probably a cop. She primarily wants to ride on the Métro but is prevented because the workers are on strike (causing massive traffic jams that create even more chaos). Instead, Zazie takes in some scenic locales such as the Eiffel Tower where the principals seem to be engaged in some dangerous stunts (with great views of the city). Ultimately, this may be a film that loses a lot in translation (through both space and time) with some jokes that work best in French (a lot of wordplay, judging by the forced misspellings in the subtitles) and in 1960 (Jonathan Rosenbaum suggests that there are references to 1950s films here, probably French ones, that I didn't catch). However, the main influences are worn on the sleeve (Tati and the Marx Bros. primarily), so if you like them, this may be your thing. Yet, after all this running around, the film does feel a bit pointless -- but it's worth watching for its crazy energy and Malle's willingness to experiment with his camera and the mise en scène (sped up shots, cartoonish slapstick, destruction of the set at the end). Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member What a strange comedy from Louis Malle, using so many cinematic styles, not only Hollywood slapstick comedies but also spoofing the Nouvelle Vague. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Zazie Dans Le Metro (Am I the only one who's curious about why certain movies get translated titles and others don't?) is a very funny, very impressive, and very strange movie from the also very funny land of France (Any country that holds a love for Jerry Lewis has great comedic taste in my book). The story here is pretty simple, Zazie is a foul mouthed little girl who is staying with her aunt and uncle in Paris so her mother can spend some time with her new boyfriend. While there all Zazie wants to do is ride the famous Metro, but it's closed due to a strike, so she has decided to take the next logical step. That step being to wreck havoc on Paris and its residents in a way that would make the folks at Termite Terrace proud. As you can probably tell by now, watching Zazie is like watching a live action Looney Tunes short, but also with the right amount of subtlety and variety that it doesn't wear out during it's around 90 minute running time. All throughout the film different comedic ideas are showcased, ranging from surreal exposition to over the top death counts, and all of them are done expertly and with both no restraints and a sense of control, two things comedies must master in order to be great. Along with different comedic ideas are various directing techniques, making each scene a unique experience that can stand on its own as well as making the entire film look wonderful and just as diverse and surprising as the jokes featured in it. Here is a movie that's like a madcap tour, you never know where you're going or how you're gonna get there, and you just gotta sit back and enjoy the ride. You also have to hand it to Louis for making Zazie a fun and enjoyable protagonist, a lesser director would have make her an unlikable and annoying jerk, but here he hits all the right notes and makes a timeless character worthy to be in the pantheon of France's comedy legends along with Jacques Tati's Mr. Hulot and Jean Renoir's Boudu. In the end, Zazie Dans Le Metro is a comedy classic that packs just as many surprises as it does laughs. Also, where else are you gonna see a polar bear in the Eiffel Tower, an exploding phone, and the tackling of societal issues (with some minor mispronunciation) in the same place? Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Zazie in the Subway

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