Tandem

Another great movie from Leconte and one that marked a departure from the strictly laugh-filled movies he'd done up to this point. This one has everything, comedy, certainly, but seasoned with a dash of pathos and honest sentiment. Rochefort is outstanding as usual - not for nothing does Leconte use him time and time again - but the revelation is Gerard Jugnot, also best known at this time for strictly comedy roles, displaying a wonderfully sensitive side and limning a real 'human' being foreshadowing by some fifteen years his standout performance in Les Choristes (still, disgracefully, unshown commercially in London almost a year after its release in France and some six months after being released in HONG KONG!). Jugnot plays Rivetot, mechanic, engineer, sidekick and general dogsbody to Rochefort's Mortez. Mortez is the host of a radio quiz show with which he has been touring France for several years but his penchant for gambling means there is very little in the kitty so that the two men are obliged to share twin-bedded rooms in each town they play. The radio station have effectively axed the show but Rivetot keeps the news from Mortez, knowing it would metaphorically kill him. This is a wonderful melange of laughter and tears and warm, human friendships and shows Leconte emerging as a consummate film maker.