VideoVista covers rental and retail titles in all genres and movie or TV categories, with filmmaker interviews, auteur profiles, top 10 lists,
plus regular prize draws.
HOME PAGE
INDEX OF ALL REVIEWS
SEARCH THIS SITE
COMPETITIONS
FORTHCOMING REVIEWS
TOP 10 LISTS
INTERVIEWS & PROFILES
RETRO REVIEWS SECTION
ABOUT OUR CONTRIBUTORS
READERS' COMMENTS
SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER
SITE MAP
LINKS
SUPPORT THIS SITE -
SHOP USING THESE LINKS
visit other Pigasus Press sites...
The ZONE - genre nonfiction
Soundchecks - music reviews
Rotary Action - helicopter movies
|
March 2011
cast: Antoine de Caunes, Mehdi Dehbi, Micha Lescot, Judith Magre, and Elsa Zylberstein
writer and director: Jean-Jacques Zilbermann
86 minutes (15) 2009
widescreen ratio 1.78:1
Network DVD Region 2
RATING: 7/10
review by Tony Hill
|
He's My Girl
An amusing yet with serious moments movie, telling the tale of a middle-aged professional musician trying to get to grips with his rather
confusing personal life. Simon (Antoine de Caunes - well-known to UK viewers as a TV presenter, initially with Jean-Paul Gautier, of
EuroTrash, 1993-9) is both Jewish and gay and lives in a flat in one of the most cosmopolitan districts of Paris. He is a clarinet
player leading a small group who specialise in upbeat versions of traditional Ashkenazi Jewish klezmer music. They are preparing for a concert
tour to New York, and he is being hassled continually by the group's manager about rehearsals.
Simon also has two lovers vying for his attention: the rather sheepish Rapha�l (Micha Lescot), who is married and trying to make-up his mind
whether he is gay or not, and the delectable Algerian transvestite Na�m/ Angela (Mehdi Dehbi). His troubles are further increased when he is
forced to look after, in his flat, his truculent mother, Bella (Judith Magre) who is recovering from a hip operation. Then he learns that his
ex-wife, Rosalie (Elsa Zylberstein) - from his hetero days - and his 10-year old son, Yankele (Taylor Gasman) - who he has never met - are
coming to see him to introduce her new husband-to-be.
What more problems can beset him, we ask? These characters and the events they trigger swirl around Simon who seems to be happy to accept
whatever comes his way. Maybe it is the acting style of Antoine de Caunes, but Simon never really seems to go out of his way to take the
initiative, although as things develop, he does rather well, anyway.
Writer and director Jean-Jacques Zilbermann gives us a movie which is funny, serious and sad at times - and even manages to make banter between
Simon and Na�m on Israeli-Arab relations a light-hearted affair. He's My Girl (aka: La folle histoire d'amour de Simon Eskenazy)
is certainly well worth a watch if only for the wonderful performance by Dehbi as Na�m. Look out, also, for the tremendous (mimed) piece of
clarinet-playing by Simon in a rehearsal session.
|
|
|
