The Creator (1999) Le créateur (original title)

Director:

Albert Dupontel

Writers:

Albert Dupontel (writer)
Gilles Laurent (writer)

Release Date:

16 June 1999 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Dark Comedy | Jesus Christ | Self Doubt | God | Computer

Cast

Claude Perron	...	Chloé Duval
Albert Dupontel	...	Darius
Philippe Uchan	...	Victor
Michel Vuillermoz	...	Simon
Nicolas Marié	...	Pierre
Patrick Ligardes	...	Gildas
Michel Fau	...	Nicolas
Xavier Tchili	...	Mietek
Paul Le Person	...	Le Floch
Yves Pignot	...	Le père
Christiane Cohendy	...	La mère
Jacques Herlin	...	Le Majordome
Micheline Boudet	...	Edmée
Marie Daëms	...	Odette
Terry Jones	...	Dieu
Dominique Bettenfeld	...	Jésus
Isabelle Candelier	...	La journaliste
Violette Aupetit	...	La barmaid
Laëtitia Lacroix	...	Angélique
Louison Roblin	...	La vieille journaliste
Frédérique Ruchaud	...	Vieille dame
Pascal Ternisien	...	Spectateur
Catherine Pietri	...	Une spectatrice
Patrick Mazet	...	Docteur Philippe
Loïc Houdré	...	Le décorateur
Catherine Duros	...	La costumière
Frédéric Constant	...	Voisin furieux
Andrée Saldo	...	Dame escalier
Pierre Aussedat	...	Homme escalier
Christian Hecq	...	Consommateur
Jean-Noël Brouté	...	Coiffeur Chloé
Fabienne Mai	...	Bigote 2
Emmanuelle Bougerol	...	Voisine escalier
Pierre Trapet	...	Père de Darius
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Violette Palcossian	...	La barmaid

Directed by
Albert Dupontel

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Albert Dupontel		writer
Gilles Laurent		writer

Produced by
Philippe Liégeois	....	producer
Jean-Michel Rey	....	producer

Original Music by
Jean-Philippe Goude
Ramon Pipin		(as Alain Ranval)

Cinematography by
Jean-Claude Thibaut

Film Editing by
Scott Stevenson

Casting by
Antoinette Boulat

Production Design by
Denis Renault

Costume Design by
Carine Sarfati

Production Management
Ève Albertini	....	post-production manager
Nicolas Leclère	....	assistant unit manager
Pierre Wallon	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Canal	....	first assistant director
Marianne Capian	....	third assistant director
Stéphanie Seilhean	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Farid Kermici	....	storyboard artist
Gilles Tissot	....	additional set decorator

Sound Department
Frédéric Attal	....	sound editor
Hervé Buirette	....	sound re-recording mixer
François Groult	....	sound mixer
Sylvain Lasseur	....	sound editor
Hélène Le Morvan	....	sound editor
Bertrand Lenclos	....	sound edit assistant
François Lepeuple	....	foley artist
Jean Minondo	....	sound
Olivier Villette	....	sound

Special Effects by
Séverine De Wever	....	production coordinator
Patrice Fauquemberg	....	special effects
Thierry Garcia	....	special effects
Philippe Hubin	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Thierry Delobel	....	digital compositor
Thomas Duval	....	visual effects supervisor
Xavier Fourmond	....	compositing supervisor
Xavier Fourmond	....	digital compositor
Afif Heukeshoven	....	digital artist
Peregrine McCafferty	....	compositor
Johann Quéré	....	visual effects
Georges Tornero	....	digital compositor
Daniel Trujillo	....	digital effects artist

Stunts
Jean-Louis Airola	....	stunts
Daniel Breton	....	stunts
William Cagnard	....	stunts
Gilles Conseil	....	stunts
Albert Goldberg	....	stunts
Pascal Guégan	....	stunt coordinator
Philippe Guégan	....	stunts
Catherine Robert	....	stunts
Lionel Vitrant	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Victor Abadia	....	electrician
David Campbell	....	crane operator: Technocrane
Nicolas Rideau	....	assistant camera
Philippe Robert	....	camera operator
Caroline Swarowsky	....	assistant camera
Jean-Paul Vallorani	....	first assistant camera
Richard Weber	....	best boy

Editorial Department
Hélène Stevenson	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Anne Descours	....	production secretary
David Giordano	....	production administrator
Aruna Villiers	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Canal+
• M6 Films
• Rézo Films

Other Companies

• Car Grip  grip equipment
• Cinemontage  editing
• D.C.A.  sound transfer
• Laboratoires LTC  film lab (as L.T.C.)
• Les Dames Augustines  foley recorded at
• Panavision France  camera equipment
• S.I.S.  sound mixing studio
• Transpalux  electrical equipment

Also Known As:

"Le créateur" - France (original title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby SR

Certification:

France:U | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Canal+

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Reading Barton Fink (2004) (V)

Original but not as original as expected

Dupontel's "Le Créateur" is a refreshing attempt at original directions in humor that put the director somewhat at odds with the French sensibility at comedy. However, this second movie is quite a disappointment for anybody who has seen "Barton Fink", Polanski's "The Tenant" or Roger Corman's "A Bucket of Blood".

The subject is certainly an assumed take on "Barton Fink" but the general mood is something of a mix between "Barton Fink" and "The Tenant". Polanski's movie from is almost ripped off, especially concerning the relationship between Darius and the other tenants in his building and the very dry and dark sense of humor.

Then the main attraction starts with the body count and I noticed the movie used the same exact progression as "A Bucket of Blood": an early accidental killing of a cat that leads to a killing spree.

Dupontel's movie swings back between these three references. Unfortunately, he isn't able to match any of them or combine them with some sort of grace. The most successful moments in his movies are actually short sequences coming out of left-field (generally involving religion) where Dupontel's taste for invention truly shines. Dupontel as a viewer clearly has good taste concerning movies. He still has some way to do to find real inspiration compared to excessive deference as a screenwriter and director. When he's able to do that, he could become a very interesting creator.