Le laboratoire de l'angoisse (1971) User Reviews

Interesting

[Michael_Elliott · 29 February 2008]

Laboratoire de l'angoisse, Le (1971)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A dorky and stupid lab assistant falls in love with the beautiful female scientist so he stays with her every night while she works. The fool is so in love with her that he keeps getting nervous and spilling dangerous chemicals on himself, which soon starts to make his flesh melt. While this isn't a total success, it's charming enough for one viewing and contains some nice laughs including the terrific ending. Directed by Patrice Leconte.

You can find this short on a R2 disc but it's now out of print.

Your Tiny Hand Is Frozen

[writers_reign · 4/10 · 5 October 2012]

This is mainly of interest as one of three short films made by Patrice Leconte before he turned to features. We all have to learn of course and there's a lot of assurance about this essentially two-hander albeit Leconte opens with an overall view of the lab showing various technicians at work, mainly intended to show that this is an all-male environment except for one attractive female assistant who is wont to work late. She is often accompanied by a janitor-figure who fancies her big time and in an effort to ingratiate himself and win her affections goes out of his way to fetch and carry for her which invariably leads to his spilling liquids on the bench, the floor, and himself. This sets up a nice visual punchline when, after closing the lab, they travel together in an elevator. She gets out, forgetting her bag; he holds it out to her as the door closes ...