Barjo (1992)
"Confessions d'un Barjo" (original title)

The narrator, "Barjo" (nutcase, crap artist), is an obsessive simpleton, given to filling his notebook with verbatim dialog, observed trivia, and oddball speculation on human behavior and ... See full summary »

Director:

Jérôme Boivin

Writers:

Jacques Audiard (dialogue), Jacques Audiard (screenplay),

Stars:

Richard Bohringer, Anne Brochet, Hippolyte Girardot

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Bohringer	...	Charles
Anne Brochet	...	Fanfan
Hippolyte Girardot	...	Barjo
Consuelo De Haviland	...	Madame Hermelin
Renaud Danner	...	Michel
Nathalie Boutefeu	...	Gwen
Jac Berrocal	...	Mage Gerardini
El Kebir	...	Le gardien de l'usine
Louise-Laure Mariani	...	Petite fille
Gilliane Sanki	...	Petite fille
Camille Gentet	...	Fanfan enfant
Charles-Elie Rouart	...	Barjo enfant
Lise Péault	...	Irene Siccora
Bertie Cortez	...	Capitaine Cosmo
Anne Bailly	...	La femme métal

Storyline

The narrator, "Barjo" (nutcase, crap artist), is an obsessive simpleton, given to filling his notebook with verbatim dialog, observed trivia, and oddball speculation on human behavior and the end of the world. When his house burns, he moves in with his twin sister, Fanfan -- an impulsive, quixotic egoist -- and her husband, Charles, the Aluminum King. Charles becomes the focus of the film, as his wife and brother-in-law bewilder him.

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Plot Keywords:

trivia | notebook | egoist | crap artist | aluminum | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

7 July 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Barjo

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alicéléo, Centre Européen Cinématographique Rhône-Alpes, France 3 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the Philip K. Dick novel "Confessions Of A Crap Artist."

User Reviews

the madcap talks

In 1989, Jérôme Boivin caused a sensation with his first film, Baxter. His first effort showcased the story of a dog who observed the world of human beings and was trying to find his place among them. Given that fantastic isn't the forte of French cinema, this was a definitely honorable success. Three years later, the filmmaker's sophomore effort also introduces an offbeat character who understands the world in his own special way.

Sourced from a semi-autobiographical novel written by Philip K. Dick, this adaptation doesn't belong to the sci-fi genre unlike Blade Runner (1982) by Ridley Scott or Total Recall (1990) by Paul Verhoeven. It has the look of a dramatic comedy with surrealist accents. However, the result is less conclusive than Baxter. Jérôme Boivin said in an interview that he felt more at ease with thorny subjects. But here, the balance between drama and comedy is very precarious. The film scores high when it deals with Hippolyte Girardot's character. The film has its share of meaty moments when "the madcap" elaborates his theories about Charles' family and big issues in the world. The problem is that we're much more interested by him than in the rest of the film when the interest dwindles. In the end, one can see the point in the evolution of the main character but it's not enough to be fully satisfied by the film.

After this film, Jérôme Boivin directed his career towards television where he signed TV movies.