Culture

Director: Jean Becker, (4/5).


The title of this quaint and charming French film translates into English as ‘Dunderhead’. I’m not sure which title I prefer, but I think the English one captures the mood of the film slightly more. Though to assume that the only thing in this film is a middle age man chatting to an elderly female on a park bench in the afternoon would be silly, for this film has a lot to say about life, love and growing to accept the faults in yourself and others. That is only a few of the many themes within the film so rather than rattling them all off, go and see the film for yourself. You’ll at the very least enjoy the superb acting, from a cast that includes Gerard Depardieu and 95 year old Gisèle Casadesus who stole the show.
 
The dunderhead (i.e. ‘stupid person’) of the French title is Depardieu’s Germain Chazes, a middle aged tradesman who has a complex about his inability to read. Germain has not had the most fortunate life – he lives in a caravan outside his mother’s house, who as a child treated him as if she wished he was never born. At school he was bullied by teachers and pupils alike, events cumulating in him being practically illiterate. One day when visiting a local park to feed the pigeons, he strikes up a conversation with an elderly woman, Margueritte (Casadesus), who visits the park daily to read novels. They soon bond, and she shares her love of literature with Germain, which inspires him discover his intelligent side.
 
That’s the basic plot, but the parts themselves are much greater then a synopsis of the whole. There is much comedy, from Depardieu and his group of friends, who all have their own individual struggles to overcome. Depardieu’s girlfriend is about forty years younger than him, and very pretty. While this is slightly hard to fathom at first, they have a definite chemistry, and their scenes always felt comfortable, as if being in the presence of a very familiar friend. See this one – the film is the work of some very wise filmmakers and talented actors.