Le grand blond series

  • Le retour du grand blond [The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe] (1974)

    Le retour du grand blond [The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe] (1974)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (In French, On Cable TV, June 2020) Well, you can’t accuse the filmmakers behind Le retour du grand blond of not delivering what the audiences are asking for—the film insistently returns to what made the first film Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire funny and doesn’t bring many new ideas to the table. As a result, this sequel quickly runs out of energy: even the primary “twist” of the sequel, having the protagonist play the secret agent he’s not supposed to be, doesn’t feel like a particularly good idea. (There is more plot here than in the first film, but it’s not necessarily better.) Pierre Richard once again gives his best to the film, but the material he’s served doesn’t recapture what made the first film so enjoyable. Oh, there are funny moments here and there—and the film is certainly watchable—but Le retour du grand blond really feels like most sequels: one more hurrah, but without the spark.

  • Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire [The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe] (1972)

    Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire [The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe] (1972)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (In French, On Cable TV, June 2020) While the French comedy Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire is a well-constructed film from the get-go, it’s impossible to watch today without feeling that all of it depends on Pierre Richard’s lead performance. He seems uniquely suited to the role of a gaffe-prone violinist who gets unknowingly dragged into the great deadly game of espionage. His befuddlement is hilarious, and he plays the material he’s given so convincingly that you’ll nearly forget the slickness of the script, the unobtrusive talent of writer-director Yves Robert, or the decent production means invested in the film. A further proof of Richard’s domination of the role is found in the American remake, The Man with One Red Shoe, which stars the capable Tom Hanks and features even better production means, but can’t quite reach the comedy of the original. It’s all quite silly, faster paced than many comedies of the era, and features Mireille Darc in a jaw-dropping dress. French comedy is often pretty good, but Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire is even better than most.