As I was drudging through a review a month or so ago wishing for creative relief I stumbled upon a wonderful trailer for a movie called Micmacs. It’s a French film surrounding the tragic life of a man named Bazil. Throughout his life he has been plagued with giant military corporations taking away things that he loves. His father was killed while removing a live mine, his mother was driven insane because his father was killed and Bazil was injured thanks to a stray bullet during a car/motorcycle chase between two military corporations. So, when he feels the need to go up and ruin the two corporations you probably understand why. Of course, he can’t go at it alone, so he runs into some very talented friends that help him complete his revenge. One is good with numbers, another is a born general, one is incredibly bendy, one is great with making inventions and the last loves being shot out of a cannon. You can’t go wrong with a team like that. So armed with his wits, a bullet lodged in his skull and the knowledge that he could die at any given moment (thanks to the bullet), Bazil does his best to completely ruin the lives of the two military corporations that don’t care about anyone but themselves.
This movie isn’t going to win Golden Globes or Academy Awards, but it’s damn good. It’s a classic tale of the little guy getting revenge on the big guys, and it’s enjoyable from beginning to end. Danny Boon’s adorably wonderful role of Bazil is both entertaining and inspiring. He brings lighthearted humor to the screen that reminds me of a Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton. He’s physically gifted in comedy and brings the perfect amount of passion to his simple-minded character. He also gets help from his supporting cast of characters, who buy into their specifically special roles. For example, Julie Ferrier’s role of La Môme Caoutchouc (the bendy lady) is solid. She plays a very independent woman, who is the contortionist due to her abusive father and her need to hide in the fridge as a child. She is the love interest and most staunch critic of Bazil. She also sticks to her guns and her purpose, which is to infiltrate the bad guys by contorting herself inside of cardboard boxes. It’s as if the actors didn’t try to create more than what was written for them (if only American actors did this). Anyway, the characters really create the movie and the charm. They ultimately make this movie work and are the reason why it’s so damn entertaining. This is the very definition of ‘character-driven film’.
Anyway, all of these actors wouldn’t have worked as well if not for the wonderful direction of Jean-Pierre Jeunet (known for The City of Lost Children and Amélie). His vision of this film never changed and you can just see that in the way it was shot and the tragic, yet very lighthearted, mood that the film carried. The film was saying the entire time, “This is sad, but you have to laugh because you must not take it too seriously.” That’s really how you can define Micmacs. You will go into it fully understanding that it’s tragic, but there’s hope for the situation. The hope lies in the characters and Jean-Pierre Jeunet never strays away from that, as he is a very seasoned and disciplined director.
With all these compliments, is the film flawed in any way? Well, it’s not flawed. The only problem I can see with this film is that people will take it way too seriously and go into it expecting more than it offers. It’s a tragic comedy that tells an outrageously improbable story. Most of what they get away with in the film would me a lifetime imprisonment in real life, especially in France. Most people will also find an issue with the political connotation the film contains. It’s not only a small guy versus big guy, but it’s people versus the government. The film is preachy when it comes to war, as it has a right to be, and it doesn’t apologize. People who are very pro-war might be turned off about this, but again you can’t go into the film taking it too seriously. The ending might make you think, but ultimately your goal is just to be entertained; Micmacs does this very well.
Anyway, the film is good and very entertaining. Go into it understanding the simplicity of it and, again, don’t take it too seriously. Enjoy the ride and understand fully what Jeunet is ultimately trying to do.
Now, as for the Blu-ray side of things, you get some gorgeous footage in 1080p. The playful style and somewhat dark cinematography that Jean-Pierre Jeunet brings adds some great value to the HD look. For example, when our main man Bazil is waiting (unknowingly) to get shot in the head you get some really good looking neon signage and perfect lighting for a dark scene. Both lend really well to the HD transfer and both seem to stand out pretty well without grain or flaws to the picture. With that said, since most of the scenes are dark and dim, it’s hard to appreciate the transfer. High Definition shines really well in sunny, well-lit areas (like the shooting scene), but doesn’t really standout when the gloomy scenes are onscreen. Still, you’ll find the pictures fun and better than the DVD counterpart.
As for the audio, it’s damn good. You get the French version of the film in DTS-HD 5.1, but if you can’t do subtitles you dumb down the English audio to stereo. Don’t be a goober. The audio is best in French and you’ll just have to get use to reading the words and watching the film. It’s not that difficult and the audio sounds great if you can listen to it in its original language. Outside of that, the sound effects and composition included with the movie really do excel in HD.
Your receiver will be happy.
Finally, the features are just as entertaining as the movie. You get a nice making of featurette, a great question/answer with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and actress Julie Ferrier, some really good commentary and something called Animations: Absurd Deaths (I can’t describe this, so you’ll just have to see for yourself). There isn’t an oversaturation of features in this release, which just goes along with the style of the film. I would have loved to see a gag reel on this movie.
