La Cage aux folles II

This movie is worth a look, even though it lacks the same spark as its supremely hilarious predecessor.

(N.B., Michel Serrault who plays Albin in the La Cage movies plays the equally fey hairdresser in "The King of Hearts" starring Alan Bates)

Although some have said they like this sequel better than part one, this follow-up to C.A.F. is a little more forced than the first one. Albin does plenty of high pitched shrieks to keep us chuckling and involved, but this story isn't as solid as the first. As long as you keep your expectations in check, you'll have fun. The story starts at the nightclub, but there are mixups and shenanigans in hotel rooms, and running around France. With the good guys and the bad guys both chasing after them, they go into hiding at Renato's family home in Italy. The in-laws, the Deputy of the Moral Committee is in this one briefly, and Jacob the over-emotional maid, but not the son. It's also not the safe, happy-go-lucky world of the nightclub that we saw in Part 1. In this one, there are plenty of gags and jokes, but also a fair amount of hateful name calling and street fighting that we didn't see in part 1. There's also a subplot of Luigi the farm hand falling for one of them, but you'll have to watch it for yourself.

Just when I thought they stopped making good movies sometime in the early seventies! This French film is absolutely priceless, hilarious and touching, full of social commentary and gender-busting chutzpah. Man pretending to be woman pretending to be man!!!!! Gays teaching straights how to walk gay!!! Inspired! Brilliant acting by everyone, especially the leads, fast action, not one boring moment, not at all catering to the average. I haven't seen the other two films. I can't wait to see them. This masterpiece is every bit as good as "The Odd Couple".

I am not purposely skipped the first installment, just by coincidence, I could only found the sequel right now, soothingly enough, the omission itself does not spoil the fun of this French slapstick comedy made more than 30 years ago.

How many times one could laugh out loud watching a gay/transvestite film from beginning till the very end? What's more precious is without being tainted by vulgar gags sand abominable antics (especially immune of sex-relating perversions or individual sex- orientation humiliations).

Plot-wise, although devoid of certain logistics, everything serves up to the middle-age crisis in this gay-relationship, particularly the deterioration of Zaza Napoli's self-confidence (a remarkable performance from the late Michel Serrault), which wisely puts audience into a heartfelt milieu whereas the entire "mini-film case" merely functions as a backdrop, there is no worries about our protagonists' personal security, the only gory murder is underplayed by a poison-dart.

The odd-couple route stews in a series of set pieces which strive on the verge of platitude, yet the acting, literally Michel Serrault, does single-handedly overturns the unfavorable condition, also who could forget Benny Luke's transvestite black servant (who changes his dresses in each scene), whilst in the latter returning-to-Italy part, the contradiction is pure simple but effective, which leavens the situation into a more culturally universal understanding. Enrico Morricone's score also is a big selling-point for the film

Overall, this super-optimistic farce (I suppose it includes the entire series, there are three films in all) could easily outshines among myriads of melodramatic-sentimental gay genre films even they were made several dozens of years ahead.

I really laugh when I saw this second episode of La Cage aux Folles. Some say it's too exaggerated, that it's unbelievable. But what about Tootsie, Mrs Doubtfire or Some Like it Hot? It's in the same spirit. It's a comedy and when you forget the plausibility, you can have a LOT of fun! Zaza, the main character is unbelievalbe, a drama queen like there's never been on screen. She pups up from a birthday cake, she has to wear men's cloctes (yes! desesperatly still look like a woman!), she seduces an half-witted Italian peasant, absolutely hilarious! Eveything is great, the images, the costumes, the acting, the action. Not to be missed!