Don't Look Now: We're Being Shot At
Directed by:
Gérard OuryCinematography:
Claude RenoirComposer:
Georges AuricCast:
Bourvil, Louis de Funès, Claudio Brook, Andréa Parisy, Colette Brosset, Mike Marshall, Mary Marquet, Pierre Bertin, Benno Sterzenbach, Marie Dubois (more)Plots(1)
During World War II, when their combat aircraft is shot down by the Germans, three English airmen (including Terry-Thomas as Sir Reginald) parachute to the comparative safety of Nazi occupied France. One lands on the scaffold of an amiable painter and decorator, Augustin (Bourvil). Another lands on top of a concert hall and is rescued by the irascible but patriotic conductor Stanislas Lefort (Louis de Funès). The third ends up in the otter enclosure of a Parisian zoo. When they try to help the airmen keep a rendez-vous at the Turkish baths in Paris, Augustin and Stanislas quickly find that they themselves have become targets for the German soldiers. Assisted by the daughter of a puppeteer and an anti-German nun, the two reluctant heroes accompany the three airmen on a reckless trek across France towards the safety of the neutral zone. (StudioCanal UK)
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Reviews (5)
Among all the cult classics with Master Funes, Don't Look Now: We're Being Shot At is unique because it’s not primarily about Funes and his style of comedy, it’s a sweeping satirical story with many supporting characters; and it’s also about Bourvil, who embodies a character much closer to ordinary, war-afflicted people. And it’s precisely the perfect interplay between these two icons of French comedy that makes every generation sit back and watch over and over again this immortal classic where the Russians decide to occupy a foreign country and start an armed conflict just for fun. A star down only for the slightly excessive runtime, which hinders the aforementioned duo and the entire intricately intertwined plot. 85%
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I had high hopes for Don't Look Now: We're Being Shot At, given the reviews here, and even though it didn't quite live up to my expectations, it's definitely a good piece of work that, together with comedy and war movie, it could also be categorised as an adventure film. While I didn't burst out laughing like I have with other comedies with Louis de Funès, the film still offers some memorable scenes, like the birthday party, the room swapping and the constant banter between de Funès and Bourvil.
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Bourvil and Louis de Funès are a great duo in this film, mainly because Louis de Funès is not so theatrical here, but uses the comedy of the situation and mimicry or gestures. It's not as loud, which is simply great. Additionally, World War II is portrayed with a beautiful sense of humor that must be appreciated, along with the bizarreness of some situations.
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Excellent situational comedy, which is just funny enough (especially thanks to Funés and Bourvil) and just thrilling enough. The film is a typical story of wartime English airmen escaping the Germans, but it's thanks to the well-entangled script and two scathing French refugee guides that this road film gets a lot of energy. So you laugh, and you get just the right amount of stress. Gerard Oury simply made a textbook example of what an adventure comedy should be. It’s just too bad that it's a little lengthy.
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My adolescence was co-shaped by French war comedies. I really liked those films and their humor used to resonate perfectly with me. However, quite a few years have passed since then and I have moved on and so has cinema, after all. Don't Look Now: We're Being Shot At may be a showcase of a certain type of popular situational comedy, but it is certainly not the best French comedy. In this case, not even a bit of nostalgia works for me, so from my current perspective, I'm only giving it three stars. Overall impression: 65%.
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