Une femme ou deux (1985)

Director:

Daniel Vigne

Writers:

Élisabeth Rappeneau (writer)
Daniel Vigne (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 February 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

An ad executive (Weaver) impersonates an archeology professor (Westheimer) to avoid a situation with an obsessed former lover...

Plot Keywords:

Number In Title

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	Julien Chayssac
Sigourney Weaver	...	Jessica Fitzgerald
Ruth Westheimer	...	Mrs. Heffner (as Dr. Ruth Westheimer)
Michel Aumont	...	Pierre Carriere
Zabou Breitman	...	Constance Michaux (as Zabou)
Jean-Pierre Bisson	...	Gino
Yann Babilée	...	Alex
Maurice Barrier	...	Le maire
Robert Blumenfeld	...	Patrick
Michael Goldman	...	Maxwell (as Michel Goldman)
Adrian Howard	...	L'assistante de Patrick
Axel Bogousslavsky	...	Antoine
Tannis Vallely	...	Zoé
Jean-Quentin Châtelain	...	Homère
André Julien	...	Le vieux

Also Known As:

A Woman or Two (International: English title)
One Woman or Two (USA)

Runtime:

USA:97 min | France:97 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

DD Productions

A favorite comedy of mine; lots of love and zaniness in it.

This film qualifies as a "laugh riot." It's not quite a "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World" kind of comedy, but full of great comic twists and turns, all centering on an anthropological discovery -- the first French fossil woman (who looks much as drawings show the famous Leakey fossil woman/hominid "Lucy" in Africa). Dr. Ruth Westheimer plays the American expert that Depardieu's character seeks out to legitimize his claims about the new fossil. Sigourney Weaver plays a poor American tourist who mistakenly gets wrapped up in the plot while seeking to escape a former lover/stalker. A fair number of scenes, all of those with Westheimer, and quite a few of Sigourney's (although she speaks French in the film, too, with an appropriately American accent) are in English. Weaver's best line, however, is in French and you'll especially enjoy it if you know the language -- just in terms of immediate impact. I refuse to give it away here, either in terms of plot or the words themselves -- but you won't have to wait long to hear it, once her character enters. Enough said. Did I mention that Depardieu turns in another first-rate starring role? -- it goes without saying. This time he plays a good-guy; his villain-roles also rate quite highly with me. Whatever he's in, even the poorly-received "Christopher Columbus" -- he makes memorable. I wouldn't recommend the "Mon Oncle" film, however, that's my one exception. It's not that he's bad in it -- it's just such a dour, dull role -- and a small part, too. But that's for another review. If you love Sigourney Weaver, men -- and to borrow a phrase, what's not to like? -- you'll want to put this film near the top of your "Must See" film list. She's at her sexiest here. It's light fare, but what's wrong with that?