An old baroness has just inherited a great whopping mansion plus a great whopping fortune. She has some good news for her various relatives (at least one of whom will later become her heir) : they're all free to live in the mansion for as long as they like, which will give them the freedom to indulge their hobbies. Unfortunately there is also bad news : she intends to live life to the fullest and spend money like water. These prospects do not please an ambitious young man determined to get his hands on as much money as possible, as soon as possible...
With "Un merveilleux parfum" we're clearly in "Kind hearts and coronets" territory. Black comedy is a demanding artform and here the touch just isn't deft enough. The dialogue doesn't sparkle and there's something off about the timing or editing of the jokes. Moreover the young male protagonist doesn't do all that well in a comic role, while a number of superb comic talents are wasted on underdeveloped or underwritten roles. (Just watch the "butler" and the "police inspector" characters.)
Finally the movie contains some of the worst special and visual effects I've seen, and I've seen my share of movies. Most of the story is set in a superb mansion, which, presumably, was legally protected as a historic monument in real life. In the movie, part of the mansion is destroyed in a giant explosion. The resulting hole through the roof is so amateurishly done that even a two-year-old would cry "Fake !".
Still, the movie is not entirely laugh-free - and perhaps I'm being unjust by wanting to compare it to "Kind hearts and coronets", which is one of THE black comedy classics. Besides, the beautiful locations alone are worth a few stars.
With "Un merveilleux parfum" we're clearly in "Kind hearts and coronets" territory. Black comedy is a demanding artform and here the touch just isn't deft enough. The dialogue doesn't sparkle and there's something off about the timing or editing of the jokes. Moreover the young male protagonist doesn't do all that well in a comic role, while a number of superb comic talents are wasted on underdeveloped or underwritten roles. (Just watch the "butler" and the "police inspector" characters.)
Finally the movie contains some of the worst special and visual effects I've seen, and I've seen my share of movies. Most of the story is set in a superb mansion, which, presumably, was legally protected as a historic monument in real life. In the movie, part of the mansion is destroyed in a giant explosion. The resulting hole through the roof is so amateurishly done that even a two-year-old would cry "Fake !".
Still, the movie is not entirely laugh-free - and perhaps I'm being unjust by wanting to compare it to "Kind hearts and coronets", which is one of THE black comedy classics. Besides, the beautiful locations alone are worth a few stars.
