Film review: A Pain in the Ass

ON TARGET: Francis Veber's comedy A Pain in the Ass is pretty much the best comedy around at the moment.

Relevant offers

Film reviews

Film review: Weekend Film review: The Artist Film review: Chronicle A heartfelt, cathartic journey Film review: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Film review: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Film review: Young Adult Film review: The Descendants Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Review: Sione's 2

French comedy legend Francis Veber (The Closet, The Dinner Game etc) is back at the helm for yet another droll sendup of contemporary French social mores.

Veber is an acknowledged master of his game, a man who is quoted as saying that his films keep him alive but the Hollywood remakes make him rich.

Veber's bank manager must be clapping his hands with glee right now, because A Pain in the Ass is not only begging to be remade, but actually already has been. Way back in 1973, Veber wrote his original screenplay of this film. It was produced, released to great acclaim in Europe, and then remade in 1981 as Buddy Buddy, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.

So this time around, Veber is not only remaking his own film, but I'll bet my film festival season ticket that a second Hollywood remake is also in the offing. And there's a good reason for that. As with most of Veber's films, the story is comedy gold.

In an upmarket hotel, a callous but smart assassin waits for his prey to appear in his telescopic sights. But in the room next door, a lonely and horribly depressed middle-aged schmo is plotting to top himself. If he succeeds, the police will be all over the hotel. And since the hitman has no other potential eyrie from which to shoot, it falls on him to keep the lovelorn loser from ending it all, at least for a couple of days, until the job is completed. Chaos, the unlikeliest of friendships and a fair whack of very black humour ensue.

Veber can do this sort of stuff in his sleep, and there are a few sequences in A Pain in the Ass where you might think that's exactly what has happened. The film is definitely a little looser and lazier than Veber at his best. This is no Dinner Game, but Veber cruising is still a funnier and smarter proposition than most film-makers busting a valve. A Pain in the Ass is pretty much definitely the best comedy playing in town this week.

A Pain in the Ass
Rated: M
Runtime: 83 mins
Director: Francis Vebe
Stars: Richard Berry, Patrick Timsit
Trailer: Flicks.co.nz

- © Fairfax NZ News