FILM CHALLENGE: 72) Micmacs

72) Micmacs

Director: Jean Pierre Jeunet

Year: 2010

Plot Summary: Avid movie-watcher and video store clerk, Bazil, has had his life all but ruined by weapons of war. His father was killed by a landmine in Morocco and one fateful night a stray bullet from a nearby shootout embeds itself in his skull, leaving him on the verge of instantaneous death. Losing his job and his home, Bazil wanders the streets until he meets a group of similarly quirky individuals living in a scrapyard. When chance reveals to Bazil the two weapons manufacturers responsible for building the instruments of his destruction, he constructs a complex scheme for revenge that his newfound family is all too happy to help set in motion.

Micmacs is one of the most entertaining and fun movies that you will have the pleasure of seeing this year.

A modern day homage to the great films of 1930s cinema, Jeunet's crime caper, at times, rivals the best work of Charlie Chaplin with its madcap yet hilarious style. But, more than that, it plays out like a live action cartoon featuring set pieces so whimsical that they could have come right out of Wallace And Gromit. There's hives of bees attacking the film's henchmen and one of the protagonists is even shot out of a canon. But, if that's not enough, Micmacs is as close to going to the circus that cinema has ever been with a style that is constantly colourful and playfully tongue in cheek and featuring a story packed with bizarrely fun characters.

Nevertheless, despite this comic style, the film is very cleverly grounded with a topical theme about the the arms industry and, while most of the film is as off-the-wall as any movie you'd find, one of the film's final moments when the two villainous arms dealers are forced to face their victims is somewhat powerful.

This is the kind of movie that could easily fall apart in the wrong hands. Even many of this generations great film-makers would struggle in finding the perfect tone, style and pace with Micmacs, but I guess that is just a testament to how talented Jean Pierre Jeunet is at what he does. The action pieces are spectacularly made with imagination and creativity that is very fun to watch. Furthermore, Micmacs never losing sight of the fact that it's just a movie and from the film's opening moments it's easy to suspend your disbelief - in fact, in a number of scenes, billboards for the movie, DVD covers and posters can be seen in the set design.

But, most impressively, Jeunet never lets it lose its emotional core that keeps you watching on. Throughout all the maniacal things that happen over the 90 minutes, you are kept involved in the narrative as you care about Bazil's personal vengeance against the arms dealers and his relationship with his new family.

Not up to the standards of Amelie or Delicatessen as it does become monotonous in the second act, but a hugely enjoyable crime caper from one of the most inventive directors in modern day cinema nonetheless.

4/5

By Daniel Sarath with 1 comment