That brief comparison makes the two films sound more similar than they
are. This one is kind of the kindler, gentler version. In Going Places, the boys are a couple of hooligans, and their failure
to please their live-in lover is only a small part of the story, In Get Out
Your Handkerchiefs, they are a couple of guys with standard middle-class
values, and the sexual breakthrough is the entire story. Depardieu plays a
young husband who can't make his wife smile any more. In fact, his wife
(Carole Laure) doesn't seem to be interested in life at all. In order to
bring some spring back to her step, Depardieu recruits her a new lover (Dewaere),
a lonely, bookish fellow whose life consists of his library and Mozart. Laure
seems to like him well enough, but there is no emotional connection between
them, just as there was none between Laure and Depardieu. Their mutual
failure to inspire Laure creates a bond between the boys, and they gradually
rope in an-ever expanding circle of people into the Laure project, all the
while treating her as if she is not there, and talking about her as if she
were a pet cat.
When they get out to the country, Laure finally takes an
interest in something - a 13 year old boy, with whom she forms both a
maternal and a sexual bond. When the boy is carted off by his parents and
shipped to a new boarding school, Depardieu and Dewaere help Laure kidnap the
boy, for which they go to jail. When they get out, they peek in on Laure
through an open window, see her contentedly pregnant. They shrug their
shoulders and move on, obviously resigned to never understanding women, but
happy that Laure is happy.
The film was considered kind of a trifling but amusing
effort in France, and was not even nominated for a Cesar, except for the
musical score. America's arthouse community, on the other hand, embraced it
and named it the best foreign picture!
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DVD info from Amazon.
widescreen anamorphic 1.66:1
-
no
meaningful features, but the English-speaking viewer may
choose between dubbing and subtitles
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Tuna's Thoughts
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Preparez vos Mouchoirs (1978),
titled Get out Your Handkerchiefs in the US, is a wonderful but
quirky comedy starring Gérard Depardieu as Raoul and Carole
Laure as his wife Solange. Solange has taken to depression
lately, and, in desperation, Raoul enlists the aid of a
stranger, Stephane (Patrick Dewaere) in a restraunt to bed her
and hopefully cheer her up. The three become close friends over
lots of wine and lots of Mozart, but Solange is still depressed,
and is having fainting spells. The doctors all say, "It is
nothing ... just her nerves ... that will be $40.00." The three
decide to spend the summer running a summer camp, and a very
bright 13 year old who is hazed by the other kids puts the glow
back in Solange's cheeks.
Laure shows breasts numerous times, and has a long full frontal
in good light. The DVD is a very good transfer in the original
aspect ratio, and gives you your choice of English or French
spoken language and sub-titles. IMDB readers say 7.4 of 10. The
film won the Oscar for best foreign language film, a Cesar for
best music, and a National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
best film. It was also nominated by the Goldon Globes for best
foreign language film. The film has nudity, is a totally unique
comedy, it technically well made, in other words, it is my kind
of film. B.
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The
Critics Vote
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The People
Vote ...
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IMDb
guideline: 7.5 usually indicates a level of
excellence, about like three and a half stars
from the critics. 6.0 usually indicates lukewarm
watchability, about like two and a half stars
from the critics. The fives are generally not
worthwhile unless they are really your kind of
material, about like two stars from the critics.
Films under five are generally awful even if you
like that kind of film, equivalent to about one
and a half stars from the critics or less,
depending on just how far below five the rating
is. My own
guideline: A means the movie is so good it
will appeal to you even if you hate the genre. B means the movie is not
good enough to win you over if you hate the
genre, but is good enough to do so if you have an
open mind about this type of film. C means it will only
appeal to genre addicts, and has no crossover
appeal. D means you'll hate it even if you
like the genre. E means that you'll hate it even if
you love the genre. F means that the film is not only
unappealing across-the-board, but technically
inept as well.
Based on this
description, this film is a C+ (Scoop) to B (Tuna).
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