What a beautiful movie!

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

Also watch Rabbie jaccob and L'aile ou la cuisse with Louis de funes! Top 10 of french 70s comedy, watch in french. also dont miss La chevre . and les comperes,

The British films have their flavor with mysteries but the French have the Gallic way of infusing humor in the most unlikely manner that the mysteries become terrific platforms of French humor at its finest. Film Movement is re-releasing this 1972 gem of a film and it hasn't lost a bit of its allure. Written by Francis Veber and writer/director Yves Robert this little pastiche is a treasure. Two factions of the French Secret Service (Jean Rochefort and Bernard Blier) involve a seemingly normal but hapless orchestra player, François Pignon (Pierre Richard), into their battle as one side uses him as a decoy by being identified as a super secret agent.. Soon, agents are all over the place, and one of them, Christine (Mireille Darc), is sent to seduce François. Meanwhile, François has his own problems, tangled up in an affair with his best friend's wife.This is French comedy/mystery at its best and it is just as radiant today as it was in 1972!

But there's a reason why "obvious" gets to be so... well obvious.Despite the fact that the print I saw of this had colour so mucky I would've been better off watching on a black and white TV set and that it was the dubbed version and not the original French version it is still better by far than the Hollywood remake in the 1980s.First off the director of this has a sense of timing which goes a long way. Scenes like the opening interrogation using a lie detector move fast and with a Spartan minimum of activity.More importantly is the fantastic art direction and the score by Zamfir (master of the pan flute). The hero's apartment could've easily graced the pages of Progressive Architecture. Especially his bathroom - no really. Only 'The Prisoner' made better use of art direction.Even the dubbed dialog retains a level of precision with lines like "I didn't see you behind me" "Ah, but I'm already ahead of you...". They could've gotten a better voice-over for Maurice, but at least the sound effect for the guns was an inspired choice.Some things like the bagpipe-as-a-snake scene don't work so well (at least outside of France) but they're a minor annoyance. Most of the comedy set pieces are inspired genius worthy of Chaplin, Keaton or (Harold) Lloyd.By all means see this movie - and make sure to see it before you subject yourself to the American remake.

first, excuse me for my English bur i didn't write in this language since 2 years. This movie was one of the best i've ever seen. Pierre Richard is the same as usual, with all its "tics" like : - his face with a little smile and look like someone which don't have any idea of what he's making here ! - its clothes are always out of fashion or completely "vintage" Moreover, the french version is more interesting because it's the VO so he "word games" are respected. In fact, all the characters are good in this movie, they all see to be exactly what they seem to be. The men who are supposed to be secret agents are too much : their raincoats and their shoes couldn't have been better than this. then, the music sound is one of the best i know. i can sing this song all the day without any problem.