When the Pheasants Pass

Mostly unknown, but could be regarded as a masterpiece of french writer Michel Audiard. This has been written during its golden years, somewhere between "Les Barbouzes" and "Ne nous fâchons pas". Edouard Molinaro admitted that it was as much his movie as Audiard's one. "Quand passent les faisans" gathers part of the team of the famous "Tontons Flingueurs" (Bernard Blier, Jean Lefebvre) as a pair of lousy crooks (feasant in french slang). They eventually meet a greater professional who tries to teach them higher tricks, Paul Meurisse. Thus, it offers Meurisse one of it's best role in a comedy. He can be considered as one of the most classy french actor ever, and one of the rare who includes a very English non-sense in its play and attitude. As far as cinema art is concerned we are far away from Orson Wells, but it is not the point. Each and every line of the actors are delightful. That's why (french)spectators are here. For the rest of the world, assuming that a non-french speaker would ever get the opportunity, not speaking of the will, of seeing it, all of this must appear as a great mystery ...