Ridicule

Nobleman Ponceludon de Malavoy (Charles Berling) has a problem with the swampy landscape of his village. He's come up with a solution, but lacks the funds to implement it. So off to court he goes. But our idealistic young hero's compassionate arguments are met with shut doors. Fortunately for him, he's taken under wing by a kind Marquis (Jean Rochefort) who explains to him the machinations of court survival. To the delight of both men, Malavoy displays an affinity for the well lobbed barb, and before long he's dishing it out with the best of them.

Malavoy's witticisms draw the attention of powerful Countess de Blayac, a recent widow and more importantly, the King's mistress. Played with a wicked richness by the wonderful Fanny Ardant, the Countess is more than a one-dimensional vipor. Thanks to the complexity and depth of her performance, she manages to even evoke sympathy at times despite her selfish behavior. Ardant steals the show with her devilish manipulations. She has displayed versatility throughout her career, but I wonder if she could ever play a real ditz because to me she always brings an innate wisdom to her characters.

The rest of the cast is wonderful as well. Berling as Malavoy has a confused sweetness that is perfect for our good-guy hero who finds himself getting caught up in the venemous snake pit of the court before coming to his senses (with the help of a good woman, of course!). The fact that this good woman happens to be very young and very voluptuous doesn't exactly hurt. A real dilemma he has! Jean Rochefort as the helpful Marquis (and papa to the buxom young woman) is a delight. His mental exercises to keep his wit from slipping are simultaneously charming and poignant.

A lavish production with fabulous costumes and sets, this movie is eye-pleasingly sumptuous. While the various witticisms and zingers didn't have me slapping my knee, this actually only added to the already thick tension created by waiting to see how the court participants would respond to these attempts of verbal assassination.

There are many memorable scenes - Countess Blayac, fresh out of her bath, having powder blown onto her naked body by her servants; her dying husband being urinated on by a bitter victim of one of his devestating put-downs. This pissing penis scene caused a certain ammount of notice because it showed everything, and in close-up no less(isn't it amusing how male reviewers singled this out as being unnecessary while voicing no objection to countless nude women in many films?); and last but not least, the long shot of Countess Blayac's face in the closing scene when she realizes all that she's lost.

A final note : Judith Godreche, who plays Malavoy's good girl love interest, reminded me of a young Claudia Cardinale. Not long after seeing this movie I was watching a Claudia Cardinale movie from the mid-80s, "Next Summer", when who should happen to be playing her daughter....you guessed it, Judith Godreche. To top it off, Godreche's older sister in the movie was played by Fanny Ardant! Small world!

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