Paparazzi (1998)

"You two really ought to ****. You have all the disadvantages of marriage, so you might as well have the advantages as well."

Alain Berberian's 1998 French comedy Paparazzi (not to be confused with the Mel Gibson-produced American revenge movie) feels like the kind of thing that Francis Veber would have made with Gerard Depardieu and Pierre Richard in the early 80s. Patrick Timsit is the `Pignon'-like sad sack who loses his job when Vincent Lindon's paparazzi gets a cover shot of a couple of celebrities that unfortunately shows Timsit at a football match when he should have been at work. Determined to find out the identity of the photographer, Timsit instead finds himself conned into becoming Lindon's flunky before gradually acquiring a taste for the hunt himself that threatens to overshadow his reluctant teacher. Naturally moral lessons are learned by the time the end credits roll and it's better on the various tricks of the trade - tip-offs, set-ups, cons, bribes and the odd bit of complicity with their more publicity-hungry prey - than it is at providing laughs, but it's an entertaining odd couple comedy which has enough good moments to pass muster. Of the supporting cast only Catherine Frot and Nathalie Baye have much to do while of the many cameos from local celebrities, only Isabelle Adjani and Johnny Hallyday will be remotely familiar to non-French audiences, though Patrick Bruel does give a brief master class in how to deal with a fledgling paparazzi. There's no real reason to watch it, but it passes the time more than pleasantly enough if you do.

The French PAL DVD has a good 2.35:1 widescreen transfer with English subtitles, though the extras are unsubtitled. January 26, 2008

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