Le jaguar

Francis Veber is a director known from his intelligent comedies featuring two contradicting characters, and has delivered such classics as "La chèvre" (1981), "Les fugitifs" (1986) and "Le dîner des cons" (1997). One year before the latter, he tried his hand at adventure comedies with "Le jaguar", a film that takes an already engaging story and transforms it into a successful commercial comedy.

As usual for Veber, his film revolves around two characters, a hardcore, serious explorer named Campana (Jean Reno) and a naïve, more innocent everyman named François Perrin (Patrick Bruel). These two meet on an elevator, with Campana, the protector of a shaman, being surprised when the latter has some kind of spiritual connection with Perrin. So, when the shaman gets sick and someone is needed to find his soul, Perrin seems to be the most suitable one to do so, and the unlikely duo of adventurers sets out for the Amazon.

The best quality of this movie is the chemistry between Reno and Bruel. For one, the two contradict each other perfectly, the one with his neuroticism and the other with his youthful energy. Whilst Reno is brave and risks his life for his cause, Bruel is cowardly and has no hesitation to quit the adventure in order to go home. Reno is decisive, Bruel is fickle, considering the adventure "fun" at first and "not for him" later. These elements of their characters are used very well in the movie. Essentially, these two play usual roles for them, Reno always having played the tough hero, and Bruel being branded the innocent, charming boy (see "P. R. O. F. S." (1985) for further proof of that).

The cinematography is excellent, too, showing parts of the Amazon from above, making the viewer feel fascination for this wonderful landscape. It is this part of the film, most of all, that gives it its adventurous character, with the sequences involving dense forests feeling more gripping through the camera's showing of the fauna around the heroes.

The film first starts as a comedy,but later develops more into a comedic adventure, with Perrin and Campana not only trying to retrieve the shaman's soul, but also striving to protect the Indians of the Amazon. While the adventure sequences aren't very convincing, its smart comedy, expressed through the actors' feelings and some visual gags, makes up for that and creates a considerably successful comedy of contradicting personalities.

For all his undoubted talent, Vladimir Cosma offered an indifferent score, which bears no resemblance to his excellent work for Veber's another film, "Les compères" from 1983. However infectious that one was, so forgettable is the soundtrack of "Le jaguar".

Still, "Le jaguar" is a film making ingenious use of his cast's personalities, with plenty of comedic moments, although one could say that the action sequences are weak, Veber not being made for serious features. Its charm lies more in the fact that it is a slightly alternative version of Veber's classic work with the duo Depardieu - Richard, with his new one, the Reno- Bruel one, being as capable, if a bit less suited for partners. It is a film recommended for its commercial character and comedic elements that deserves to be remembered as one of Francis Veber's less famous works.