We’re big fans of French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the director behind three stone-cold whimsical French classics, “Delicatessen,” “The City of Lost Children,” and “Amélie” (less successful, but still interesting works include “Alien Resurrection” and “A Very Long Engagement”).
He has not made a film since 2004 with ‘Engagement,’ but his latest, “Micmacs à tire-larigot” is something we highly look forward to and included it in our Most Anticipated of 2009 feature written early this year. ‘Micmacs’ is a a satirical film about the gun trade starring excellent French actor Dany Boon (the French dramedy, “My Best Friend,” which is being adapted into English by Wes Anderson) and now a teaser trailer has arrived (some English interpretations of the title include, “Dodgy Dealings By the Dozens” and “An Endless Big Mess,” but apparently the original is French slang; don’t be surprised if the title changes to something more conventional for North America).
Granted its in French with no subtitles, but anything Jeunet creates is worth looking at. Here’s the synopsis from Twitch which makes it sounds somewhat similar to the basic premise of “Nailed.”
Is it better to live with a bullet lodged in your brain, even if it means you might drop dead any time? Or would you rather have the bullet taken out and live the rest of your life as a vegetable? Are zebras white with black stripes or black with white stripes? Is scrap metal worth more than landmines? Can you get drunk from eating waffles? Can a woman fit inside a refrigerator? What’s the human cannonball world record?Find out answers to these questions and more. A comedy in the vein of Delicatessen and Amélie.
No word yet as to when this one hits the U.S., but it’s scheduled for a release in France on October 28. We’re hoping the film debuts at the Toronto International Film Festival and it’s supposedly set for release stateside this year. And the release of a teaser trailer bodes well for that “coming-soon” thinking (though it’s entirely possible we might not see this one until 2010). And if you’re wondering, this teaser trailer definitely harkens back to the wacky and wonderfully tone of “Amelie” and not the seriousness of “A Very Long Engagement.”