Laughter, poetry and overcoming prejudice. These are the pillars of an excellent comedy by Alexandre de La Patellière and Mathieu Delaporte: Le Prénom, based on a play. A couple invites friends and family over for a quiet dinner. The living room becomes the stage for five people: two couples and a charming musician wrongly believed by all to be gay. Troubles begin when one of the men announces his decision of naming his son to be born Adolphe, with a ph and not an F, a prank. Very much like Carnage, by Roman Polanski, the people who stay in the room argue in ups and downs, exposing their prejudices and their hypocritical politically correct statements. However, not like Polanski who merely deconstructs society to point out its faults, in Le Prénom the character the least expected, the baby’s father, considered by the rest of the group as rough, gives a step forward in a speech about freedom of thinking and tolerance that reminds us of Charlie Chaplin’s in The Great Dictator – a reference actually used in the film.
Another charming reference would be Wagner’s Tannhauser, the story of a knight unhappily in love with Venus. She comes down to the gate of Olympus to welcome him in, when despair is taking away his vital strength. A story that finds mortal representation in the most gentle and open minded of all characters, the musician. It is the final revelation of the arguing, his love affair with a much older woman, the baby’s grandmother. Being looked up by the musician as Venus, she comes down to him, to the gate of her garden, in a foggy night, to welcome him when he finally yields to love and doom.
Artfully directed, Le Prénom is a serious comedy, with a happy ending, spiced by the French irreverence. A delight not to be missed.
Cast and Crew:
LE PRÉNOM (2012)
Directors: Alexandre de La Patellière et Mathieu Delaporte
Cast: Patric Bruel, Valérie Benguigui, Charles Berling, Guillaume de Tonquedec…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bgb5_kVR4E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7etjqZmAGs
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