A few weeks ago on a Twitter (it is still Twitter to me), there rose a debate about which comedians delivered the best serious performances in movies. The usual American (and a few Canadian) comics and their dramatic films were named and debated. Little did I know that perhaps one of the best answers was going to arrive in mailbox after the conversation ended. Coluche became a major comedy force in France in the ’70s. He became so influential that when he temporarily ran for President of France, he polled high enough numbers that it freaked out François Mitterrand. He made lots of bawdy comedies including Inspector Blunder. It must have been a serious surprise for his French fans when Tchao Pantin (So Long, Stooge) arrived in Paris movie theaters back in time for Christmas of 1983. To put the film into perspective, this would be as if Eli Roth had decided to cast Paulie Shore instead of Bruce Willis to play the Charles Bronson role in his remake of Death Wish. Tchao Pantin has a touch of Death Wish so it’s not that farfetched.
On a rainy night Bensoussan (Police‘s Richard Anconina) can’t get his moped to start up. A police car lurks behind him. He takes refuge inside a nearby Total gas station. The overnight attendant Lambert (Coluche) doesn’t have the sparkplug the guy needs. He splits into the night and pushing his moped after the patrol car passes the station. Lambert goes back to drinking liquor. Bensoussan runs up to his ratty apartment, dries off and stashes drugs and cash inside paperback books on the shelf. Lambert ends his shift at daybreak and heads to a nearby cafe. The next night Bensoussan is dealing narcotics at a bar and later he steals a moped. He drops by the gas station and ends up pumping gas for a customer when Lambert is inside cooking eggs. The customer seems annoyed at two attendants, but Lambert calls the dealer his nephew. Afterwards, the two begin talking. Lambert thinks he’s an Arab. Bensoussan is adopted so he’s not quite sure of his heritage. He might be half Arabic and half Jewish. He does lies about being a bartender. He senses that Lambert is more than just a gas station employee with the way his questions become a bit of an interrogation. They get a meal after the shift ends and strike up a bit of a friendship. When Bensoussan steals a motorcycle and flirts with a punk girl Lola (Oui‘s Agnès Soral), Lambert offers him dating advice to see if she’s interested in him or his chopper. The two become such pals that when Bensoussan gets in trouble, Lambert is there to help him out. The trouble gets extreme. Lambert reverts to his former life as he goes after the people that Bensoussan worked for in dealing. There’s no need to give away too much except to say, it’s not a comedy.
Tchao Pantin proved to be so critically well received that both Coluche and Richard Anconina won acting awards from César Awards (the Oscars for France). Four decades later, their work together on the screen remains award worthy. The movie also won Best Cinematography for Bruno Nuytten’s work. The director of photography effectively captures the nether hours of the Parisian community. This isn’t shiny tourist trap areas. There’s plenty of grit on the screen that glows just right. You’ll want to turn off the lights in the room to fully appreciate the cinematography. Nuytten would later team up with director Claude Berri for Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring that were major art house hits in America. Berri does a fine job of giving Coluche the space to commit to the character. Even when he tells a joke during his chats, he’s not about to break into a comedy routine. Not to totally give it away, but when Coluche has his Charles Bronson moment, it’s all serious business on the screen. Nothing is played for laughs. If you don’t have a clue about Coluche’s comedy career, you will think he was always an award-winning dramatic actor. Tchao Pantin turned out to be the pinnacle of Coluche’s acting career since he unfortunately died in a motorcycle wreck a few years later.
The Video is 1.66:1 anamorphic. The 4K restoration brings out the glows of Paris after dark. The Audio is French LPCM 2.0 Mono. The sound is clear enough to hear the rain drops in the opening scene. The movie is subtitled in English.
Michael Abecassis (7:27) is an introduction to the movie by the French cinema expert. The film was a hit even though Coluche was known for making outrageous comedies. The audience were open to seeing the comic in a serious role. He gives the cultural context to the Paris that saw the film. The books featured in the apartment are explained.
Once Upon A Time…Tchao Pantin (51:43) is a documentary about the film that aired in 2003 on French TV. They interview nearly everyone involved in the production including novelist Alain Page, director Claude Berri, co-stars Richard Anconina, Agnès Soral, Mahmoud Zemmouri and other key personal. They can’t interview Coluche since he passed away in 1986 from a motorcycle wreck. We do find out about how the comic worked. He preferred others to tell him of the script rather than read it himself. They get into shooting in a rather shady neighborhood at night. There were some wild parties during the shoot. The special is in French with English subtitles.
Trailer (1:30) immediately lets people know this isn’t going to be a usual Coluche comedy.
Radiance Films present Tchao Pantin: Limited Edition. Directed by Claude Berri. Screenplay by Claude Berri. Starring Coluche, Richard Anconina, Agnès Soral, Philippe Léotard, Ahmed Ben Ismaël and Mahmoud Zemmouri. Running Time: 94 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: July 30, 2024.
