Berri enjoys telling his stories so much that you feel embarrassed to point out that the material often is pretty thin. This tale of a young Jewish man trying to find his way in Paris in the 60's (will he follow his father into the fur business, or go into films?) is told with such brio, and the actors are encouraged to make the best of their gifts. Gregoire Aslan, for instance, is very funny here (and in Mazel Tov also), much more than in the routine comedies he cranked out for Hollywood. Berri plays himself with his usual hang-dog charm.
But the real star of this picture is Yves Robert, who is tremendous as the father. The scenes in the fur-cutting workshop, where everyone is singing Yiddish songs, the bar where Robert regales his associates with stories of his son's movie career, the home where Robert starts to write scenarios because he's been bitten by the same bug as Claude; they are all well realized. Superb acting, shame about the story.
But the real star of this picture is Yves Robert, who is tremendous as the father. The scenes in the fur-cutting workshop, where everyone is singing Yiddish songs, the bar where Robert regales his associates with stories of his son's movie career, the home where Robert starts to write scenarios because he's been bitten by the same bug as Claude; they are all well realized. Superb acting, shame about the story.