Attila Marcel [DVD]

A rollercoaster ride, ‘Attila Marcel’ is relentlessly amazing, fascinating, delightfully hilarious and moving. It is a dazzling spectacle of a movie that twists and turns with unpredictable gags, gigs and quips, coming thick and fast like in a variety show, but seamlessly fused into an uplifting and deeply satisfying cinema experience. While the film has some resemblance in tone to the work of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, it nevertheless is totally unique and refreshing.Disparately eccentric but utterly compelling characters drop in and out of the proceedings, each as quirky as the other in their droll cameos, an amusing mix of comic talents ever to be assembled in a film. Then there is the music, in contrasting styles ranging from classical to popular song, capriciously appearing to bemuse and enthral the audience. How all this is paced is truly remarkable. Key sequences are lingering to bring out their emotional or dramatic potential, while the others are brisk, just long enough to carry a gag. Some of these jests are so short that even before the viewer starts laughing to one, yet another comes along. It actually takes a couple of viewings to fully appreciate the multiplicity of treats that this incredible film offers.Guillaume Gouix is sublime in his performance as Paul, the man who remains a child and refuses to speak. How he does it without any dialogue is simply the stuff of movie legend. Anne Le Ny as Mme Proust is endlessly scintillating and very funny indeed. What strikes me the most about ‘Attila Marcel’ however is the depth of imagination Sylvain Chomet demonstrates by coming up with such an unusual concept in the first place and by successfully realising its full, creative potential.

I came across this film ,possibly due to an Amazon email,and did not know that Sylvain Chomet ,had done live action,or,if you like,human actors,type films.I sent for the DVD having seen the wonderful Belleville Rendez-vous,plus the good,but somewhat dark,The illusionist,both animations.This tale is about a young man,who is a bit of a pianist virtuorso ,he lives with 2 Aunts,and has the same routine everyday.He does not speak,rendered mute,by a truamatic past.Some of the story is in flash-back,to when he was young,and his Father&Mother were altering their accommodation,by knocking a wall thru.Late on in the Film,he is told,that the wall his father was knocking thru,was a supporting wall,and a lot of bricks,and masonary came crashing down on him killing him.Part of the story being,that the father was a wrestler,Attila Marcel,i should mention.One day the pianist meets a strange woman in the same building,that he,and his aunts live in.Madame Proust gives him a concoction that makes him remember events of the past.He is entered into a piano playing contest,but he injures his fingers,and switches to the ukalaylie .This is an involving Film,the acting,and overall cinnematography ,and just a good script makes you feel ,that a real thing happened,and you were just looking in.I think you may need to read sub-titles for English,i watch things from alover,and am not bothered.As i write,there is The Thousand Miles being made,by Sylvain Chomet,i think,back to animation for that,so if you like his work,look out for it.Sylvain Chomet does superb work.

Paul is in his thirties, he is mute having seen his parents die when he was but two. Since then he has been brought up by his fabulously eccentric aunts and has become something of a virtuoso on the piano. Then a fascinating neighbour tells him that she can help him by using a concoction of herbal tea.He soon starts to see this Madame Proust regularly and starts regression therapy of sorts. She says that `you can drown bad memories in a flood of tiny joys' - which is sage advice indeed. The film deals with the cycle of life, the past and a host of human issues.What unfolds is a beautiful film in terms of style and sentiment about his life and those around him, with so much thrown in that it seems to be endlessly inventive. Guillaume Gouix as Paul and Attila (his wrestling father) is superb - even more so when you consider that he is unable to speak. Everyone plays their roles to the limit and no one goes over the top to lose believability. This is just a wonderful film with music, taxidermy, tree hugging and a whole lot of love besides - one for French film fans and for those who like something a bit different, but in a really nice way.

I'd been looking forward to seeing this film and it did not disappoint. The cast are all wonderful and you're taken on a real emotional roller coaster with the character Paul. I can't wait to watch it again.

Creative and entertaining. If you enjoyed the animations then you'll enjoy this too.

Si je n'avais pas eu peur d'être taxé de chauvin (ou pire!), j'aurais intitulé ce commentaire'"magnifiquement français". J'avoue assez piteusement avoir découvert (grandes révélations pour moi !) aussi bien le réalisateur ,Sylvain Chomet, que le rôle principal, Guillaume Gouix ...J'ai été presque tout de suite séduit et littéralement emporté par cette élégance discrète et souriante que l'on trouve dans les comédies dramatiques françaises des années 40 ou 50 (je pense en particulier aux films de Gilles Grangier) : rien ici n'est lourd, appuyé ni même démonstratif. Cette épiphanie de Paul à laquelle nous sommes conviés d'assister peu à peu est d'une beauté à la fois si simple mais indescriptible, un peu comme ce sourire de Charlot qui a redonné vue à la jeune fille aveugle dans Les Lumières de la Ville....Je préfère ne pas déflorer le récit de ce conte initiatique moderne, mais juste vous dire qu'après avoir d'abord vu le film par hasard au cinéma je me suis jeté sur le dvd !!

Pour vous dire la vérité, j'ai fait l'acquisition de ce film en même temps que quelques comédies bien régressives et, sans lire les commentaires et les critiques de ce film, c'est à ce genre de chose que je m'attendais. Et la surprise n'en fut que plus grande à la vision de ce petit bijou de poésie...Certes, on rit parfois, mais le sujet n'est pas là. L'histoire de Paul menant une vie d'une rare monotonie avec ses deux tantes un peu à la masse est une sorte de puzzle où les pièces s'imbriquent au fil du récit. Guillaume Gouix est merveilleux dans ce rôle sans parole, il est d'une rare justesse, ses expressions valent tout un dialogue.Les images et les ambiances sont merveilleuses, rappelant un peu les premiers Caro-Jeunet, les acteurs sont tous aussi bons les uns que les autres, avec une mention spéciale pour Jean-Claude Dreyfus dont la courte apparition relève du génie.

This wonderful, quirky French drama/satire -- starring the delectable GUILLAUME GOUIX -- was such an entertainment that I bought the last DVD available on Amazon to be able to re-watch it until I drop.... Charming and savory!!

Bien emballé pour son voyage jusqu'à chez moi, il a fendu l'air pour venir me voir dans la boite à lettres...

DVD arrivé vite et en bon état comme d'habitude. Ce film est vraiment magnifique, on rit, on pleure, on retrace l'enfance du personnage principal à travers toutes ses émotions. Un film vraiment bien avec une très belle bande sonore.