Zazie, a young girl from the provinces, is brought to Paris by her mother, who wants to spend some time with her lover. When asked by her uncle what part of Paris she wants to see, she answers: the metro! Zazie's wish was not to come true because of a transit strike in the city that has closed the underground system. The result is chaos in the streets where thousand vehicles try to go nowhere.
The young girl surprises because of her dirty mouth. She can out curse even the most experts in the subject. A trip to see the Eiffel Tower with her uncle Gabriel, brings the young girl face to face with tourists and an assortment of people she has never seen in her life. Deciding to take off to explore on her own, puts Zazie in touch with a series of Parisian characters that she would not see otherwise in her more provincial setting.
Louis Malle's "Zazie dans le Metro" was his third film. He was clearly paying homage to the silent films of the beginning of the century. The flavor of the picture reminded us of the Keystone Kops with its frantic pacing and running gags. The style of the film is quite in contrast with the previous movies of Mr. Malle. Perhaps the chaos in the film stands as a metaphor for the way he perceived things in a metropolis like Paris.
A young Philippe Noiret, who up to then had been seen a lot of television, makes a wonderful Gabriel, the entertainer at a small cabaret. Young Catherine Demongeot plays Zazie with an intensity that her nine years made possible. Vittorio Caprioli shows up in several disguises. Carla Marlier makes a wonderful Albertine, the almost silent wife of Gabriel. Yvonne Clech, Hubert Deschamps and the rest of the crew contribute to the zaniness of the atmosphere created by Mr. Malle.
The young girl surprises because of her dirty mouth. She can out curse even the most experts in the subject. A trip to see the Eiffel Tower with her uncle Gabriel, brings the young girl face to face with tourists and an assortment of people she has never seen in her life. Deciding to take off to explore on her own, puts Zazie in touch with a series of Parisian characters that she would not see otherwise in her more provincial setting.
Louis Malle's "Zazie dans le Metro" was his third film. He was clearly paying homage to the silent films of the beginning of the century. The flavor of the picture reminded us of the Keystone Kops with its frantic pacing and running gags. The style of the film is quite in contrast with the previous movies of Mr. Malle. Perhaps the chaos in the film stands as a metaphor for the way he perceived things in a metropolis like Paris.
A young Philippe Noiret, who up to then had been seen a lot of television, makes a wonderful Gabriel, the entertainer at a small cabaret. Young Catherine Demongeot plays Zazie with an intensity that her nine years made possible. Vittorio Caprioli shows up in several disguises. Carla Marlier makes a wonderful Albertine, the almost silent wife of Gabriel. Yvonne Clech, Hubert Deschamps and the rest of the crew contribute to the zaniness of the atmosphere created by Mr. Malle.