BON VOYAGE (us dvd)
a film by jean-paul rappeneau

The Germans are encroaching on France - moving their way to the capitol. A Bordeaux hotel brings together the intertwined lives of a disparate group - an escaped prisoner, convicted for a murder he didn't do, along with his fellow escapee; the actress he has taken the blame for, and her lover - a French minister; a pretty physics student and her beloved professor. headed for England, with top secret heavy water; and in the midst of everyone, a NAZI spy, determined to steal their secrets for the Reich. As the threads come together, a manic comedy ensues...

dvd review

This film has had praise heaped on it by the US critics, at least according to the dvd box blurbs, and whilst perhaps not the side-splitting comedy that the box might lead you to believe, this is an enjoyable piece of cinema.

In the best French farce traditions, this has more in common with Renoir's La Règle du Jeu than slapstick. The comedy is light, and the pleasure derived in watching the characters flail about, attempting to get on top of the mounting chaos. The frantic running around, double-crosses, sexual infedelity etc, that make those films so decidedly French are here in abundance.

Thankfully director Jean-Paul Rappeneau, knows just how much to let go, without destroying the illusion of reality. His characters lend a rich colour to the film, and their interactions are spot-on. Depardieu is perhaps the best known member of the cast (having worked with the director previously in Cyrano de Bergerac), is least prone to farce, lending a real sense of authority to proceedings.

The pre-credit scenes sets the tone, with the mysterious death at the actress' house, and the framing for murder. After the prison-break, its only a matter of time before the secret will out itself and everything will be thrown into chaos. No-one is quite what they seem, and the layers of deception will be peeled. A real sense of urgency is introduced with the revelation that the NAZI spy is after the heavy water in order to make an atom bomb.

The streets of wartime France are reproduced in acute detail, with scenes packed with supporting cast (including some digital enhancement - see extras notes), and authentic props and vehicles. The whole piece is photographed with taste and style, and the score by Gabriel Yared is simply beautiful - complementing and enhancing the mood perfectly.

Suspenceful, witty, and a damn good yarn. A taught war drama/thriller.

transfer
Another faultless transfer from CTHE. The beautiful photography, is reproduced in a 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer, complete with 5.1 Dolby surround in the original French. A good use of the surrounds in the mix, with dialogue et al, where it ought to be.

extras
Minimal on the extras front, it does at least follow the current trend for Columbia releases to include commentary tracks on the world cinema titles. Aside from that, just a bundle of preview trailers.

Commentary track Director Jean-Paul Rappeneau gives an interesting one-handed commentary, taking in all aspects of production, including casting, and comment on the digital enhancements throughout the film - including digitally adjusted scenes - early on explaining the complexities of filming the same scene ten times, with a small group of actors moved to different places in order to make the scene appear with thousands. Sadly perhaps, the commentary is in French - it does at least have subtitles for the non French-speaking amongst us to enjoy his thoughts.

Previews
Bon Voyage (2 mins 09 sec; 2.35:1 anamorphic; Dolby 2.0 surround)
The Triplets of Belleville (2 mins 16 sec; 1.85:1 anamorphic; Dolby 5.1) Brilliant trailer for the Oscar-nominated French animation. Watch the trailer, buy the film.
Zhou Yu's Train (1 min 42 sec; 1.85:1 anamorphic; Dolby 2.0 surround) Asian drama.

RJES

PURCHASE R1 DVD

DISC:
Release Date: 17 August 2004 (US)

Feature length: 115 mins
Year of 1st release: 2003
Rating: PG-13 (some violence)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 enhanced widescreen
Audio: French 5.1 Dolby Digital
No of Discs: 1
Region code: 1
Catalogue no: 03241
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics / Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment
Price: $29.95
Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Gérard Depardieu, Virginie Ledoyen, Yvan Attal, Grégori Derangère, Peter Coyote
Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau

SPECIAL FEATURES:
* theatrical trailer previews
* director's audio commentary
* Subtitles : English, Portuguese, Spanish

see left for full details