Le Bossu is a magnificent swashbuckling adventure movie in the tradition of The Three Musketeers (Ollie Reed version) and Scaramouche.
The strength of the film is not just in its fight scenes (although it does have several of the best choreographed sword fights that I have ever seen...and you will never forget 'la Botte de Nevers'!) but in the way that the story and characters take you wholly and utterly into the world of seventeenth century France.
I have seen Le Bossu three times at the cinema: and each time have been amazed at the sheer level of audience participation. Even the most cynically blased of my friends have cheered the good guys, boo-ed the villains, and gasped at what's happening on screen.
Don't be put off by the fact that it's in French. The subtitles are intelligently translated and convey the full humour and feeling of a great script.
The cast will be unknown to most US and UK audiences: but Daniel Auteil is magnificent, Fabrice Luchini and Vincent Perez are superb, and Marie Gillain...well, remember the little girl with the bottom that you fancied like hell in "Mon pere ce heros"? She's back: and so is the bottom! Ah, the innocence, the fire, the backside!
The strength of the film is not just in its fight scenes (although it does have several of the best choreographed sword fights that I have ever seen...and you will never forget 'la Botte de Nevers'!) but in the way that the story and characters take you wholly and utterly into the world of seventeenth century France.
I have seen Le Bossu three times at the cinema: and each time have been amazed at the sheer level of audience participation. Even the most cynically blased of my friends have cheered the good guys, boo-ed the villains, and gasped at what's happening on screen.
Don't be put off by the fact that it's in French. The subtitles are intelligently translated and convey the full humour and feeling of a great script.
The cast will be unknown to most US and UK audiences: but Daniel Auteil is magnificent, Fabrice Luchini and Vincent Perez are superb, and Marie Gillain...well, remember the little girl with the bottom that you fancied like hell in "Mon pere ce heros"? She's back: and so is the bottom! Ah, the innocence, the fire, the backside!