Nous autres à Champignol (1957) Directed by Jean Bastia
Comedy
Film Review
Nous autres à Champignol
is the first in a series of modest working class comedies directed by
Jean Bastia, including two set in the mythical backwater village of
Champignol. To his credit, Bastia was one of the first directors
to exploit the comedic talents of Louis de Funès, and his films,
whilst not classics, are both mildly entertaining and an honest
portrait of the working class milieu at the time. Jean Richard,
one of Bastia's favourite comic actors, enlivens his first feature and
prevents it from being as dull as the locale in which it is set.
Any film which starts by telling the audience it is set in the dullest
place in France and then spends five minutes explaining why this is so
is treading on very thin ice, but thanks to Richard's exuberant
performance (ably supported by such familiar faces as Mario David and
Noël Roquevert) Champignol turns out to be a slightly livelier place than we
might have feared.
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Film Synopsis
Champignol is a small rural community somewhere in France, a place
where nothing ever happens or is ever likely to happen. The
village hopes to improve its chance of winning a football match against
a rival village, Fouzy, by obtaining the goalkeeper, Claudius, from the
latter's team in exchange for a cow. Claudius is a no hoper until
he meets the lovely Solange. As if by magic, he wins the match
and the girl...
Script: Jean Bastia, Guy Lionel, Guy Lionel (dialogue),
Roger Pierre (dialogue)
Cinematographer: Marc Fossard
Music: Gérard Calvi
Cast: Jean Richard (Claudius Binoche),
Annick Tanguy (Solange),
Nina Myral (Mlle Tintoret),
Jacqueline Hopstein (L'autre demoiselle Tintoret),
Max Elloy (Maxime),
Mario David (Gino),
Robert Rollis (Milou),
André Philip (Bouillaud),
Jacques Richard (Un sportif),
Milly Mathis (Eugénie),
Anne Wartel (Suzy),
Noël Roquevert (Dugenet),
Roger Pierre (Un garde),
Jean-Marc Thibault (Un garde),
Jean Lefebvre (Un soldat romain),
Hubert Deschamps,
Lucien Guervil,
Marcel Mérovée,
Jack Ary,
Paul Bonifas
Country: France
Language: French
Support: Black and White
Runtime: 81 min
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