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| Courtesy of AMLF |
One day in between tasks François wanders
into the toy section of a department store in the same building when the boss’
spoiled rotten son Eric (Fabrice Greco) notices François and decides to “buy”
him as a birthday present. Though
flabbergasted by the ridiculous proposal, François goes along with it for job
security and is quite literally boxed up and shipped home into Eric’s
playhouse.
From here, the film becomes a bundle of straightforward
slapstick comedy antics as well as a wry social critique of how the fabulously
wealthy can buy people but not their hearts.
Soon, after being driven nuts and publicly humiliated multiple times by
the little brat, François starts to bond with the boy and even uses their “playtime”
against his boss in increasingly snarky ways for revenge.
Though completely absurd, the film’s targets
of sociopolitical hierarchies are ridiculed and lampooned in such a way that
audiences can laugh at and with it without feeling patronized. A close antecedent to Le Jouet is Luis
Bunuel’s surreal comedy The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie though
Veber’s approach comparatively is far more accessible.
Visually the film is handsomely composed with a certain cleanliness
to the cinematography handled beautifully by Étienne Becker though the film’s
real central characteristics stem from the whimsical and pitch perfect score by
longtime collaborator Vladimir Cosma. A
composer of many contemporary French classics including but not limited to Dupont Lajoie and La Boum where his original song Your Eyes garnered
international attention, Cosma’s unique style of music is perfectly suited to
comedy and in a way is the definitive sound when you put on a Francis Veber
film. While the visual composition is
obviously extremely important in a film, with Veber’s work, Cosma’s
contributions are vital.
Of course the film wouldn’t be the comedic masterpiece that
it is without the gracious contribution by Pierre Richard who is undeniably one
of the greatest living French comedians.
Usually a well-dressed bumbling buffoon, much of his comedic strengths
stem from how he uses his eyes and face.
Some of the film’s funniest scenes don’t even have him saying any lines,
just gazing in wide-eyed disbelief into the camera.
Though Richard has been around and directed some films
before his meeting of the minds with Francis Veber, it is clear that he became
a mainstay in French comedies after teaming up with the then-fledgling filmmaker. While further comedic pairings with Veber
teamed the actor up with Gérard Depardieu, his ability to play off of any and
every absurd situation that flies its way to him is a testament to the man’s
almost innate ability to make people laugh.
So successful was the film it not only jump started the
director’s soon-to-be prolific career in making comedies, but in 1982 it
spawned an English language remake directed by Superman and The Omen helmer
Richard Donner with Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in the leading roles. Though profitable itself, the film was panned
by critics whereas the first film remains well regarded. In the years since its release its reputation
as one of the funniest films on the planet has only grown with time.
--Andrew Kotwicki
