3 amis (2007)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Michel Boujenah

Writers:

Michel Boujenah (writer)
Pascal Elbé (writer)

Release Date:

22 August 2007 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Toulouse | Parisian Outskirts | Number In Title

Cast

Mathilde Seigner	...	Claire
Pascal Elbé	...	César
Kad Merad	...	Baptiste 'Titi' Capla
Yves Rénier	...	Antoine
Daniel Duval	...	Francis
Annelise Hesme	...	Stefania
Constance Dollé	...	Barbara
Carole Richert	...	Patricia - la boulangère sexy
Marie Bunel	...	Florence Capla
Jobby Valente	...	Juliette (as Joby Valente)
Richard Laune	...	Xavier
Jérémy Bardeau	...	Martin
Pascal Mottier	...	Le client '1001 Nuits' #1
Selim Saber	...	Le client '1001 Nuits' #2
Mallory Casas-Parramon	...	Le journaliste minoterie (as Malory Casas Paramon)
Jérôme Jalabert	...	Le chef de rang du resto
Philippe Spiteri	...	Le fonctionnaire CNAOP #1
Stéphane Duron	...	Julien
Patrice Abbou	...	Le fonctionnaire CNAOP #2
Pierre Chevalier	...	Le client Serano #1
Jean-Yves Chilot	...	Le client Serano #2
Jean-Pierre Roane	...	Le paysan (as Jean-Pierre Rouane)
Gilles Guérin	...	Le receptionniste du gîte
Marie-Laetitia Kolmayer	...	La vendeuse bimbo
Philippe Noiret	...	Serano, le directeur du garage
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yan Dron	...	Un manutentionnaire (uncredited)
Sebastien Soudais	...	Un serveur (uncredited)

Directed by
Michel Boujenah

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michel Boujenah		writer
Pascal Elbé		writer

Produced by
Philippe Besnier	....	line producer
Ariel Zeitoun	....	delegate producer

Cinematography by
Philippe Pavans de Ceccatty

Film Editing by
Jennifer Augé

Casting by
Françoise Menidrey

Production Design by
Frédéric Bénard

Costume Design by
Mimi Lempicka

Makeup Department
Annie Habans	....	makeup artist
Christine Lariviere	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Julie Léger	....	post-production manager
Adam Marchand	....	assistant production manager
Olivier Martin	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cécile Denis	....	second assistant director
Stephane Moreno-Carpio	....	first assistant director
Philippe Pangrazzi	....	second unit director: additional skating sequences
Mathieu Pradet	....	associate assistant director
Celine Rossi	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Christophe Couzon	....	first assistant decorator
Marie Mercier Bourboulon	....	set dresser
Didier Pons	....	property master
Lionel Pouchard	....	storyboard artist
Julien Rondeau	....	painter
Philippe Tanasic	....	property master
Quentin Lestienne	....	additional ripper (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franck Cartaut	....	boom operator
Marilena Cavola	....	dialog editor
Fabienne Chalendard	....	assistant sound editor
Jean-Michel Chauvet	....	assistant sound
Pascal Chauvin	....	foley artist
Vincent Cosson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Vincent Guillon	....	supervising sound editor
François-Joseph Hors	....	sound re-recording mixer
Didier Lesage	....	adr recordist
Dominique Levert	....	sound
Franck Tassel	....	foley artist

Visual Effects by
Peregrine MacCafferty	....	visual effects
Nicolas Rigaud	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Yan Dron	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Pierre Assenat	....	assistant camera
Juliette Castanier	....	additional focus puller
Pierre Antoine Conan	....	chief electrician: second unit
Benoit Dentan	....	camera operator
Gregory Fromentin	....	gaffer
Raphael Jourdan	....	key grip
Cedric Meyrand	....	electrician
Olivier Monton	....	grip
Jérôme Prébois	....	still photographer
Jan Rubens	....	additional Steadicam operator
Gilles Sollier	....	grip

Casting Department
Meriem Amari	....	casting: Toulouse
Meriem Amari	....	extras casting
Yann Le Boucher	....	extras casting assistant
Valérie Pangrazzi	....	extras casting

Editorial Department
Marie-Pierre Frappier	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Nicolas Duport	....	music mixer

Other crew
Astrid Gavard	....	press attache
Camille Gruman	....	production coordinator
Anne-Marie Lefèvre	....	location scout
Elsa Melquioni	....	script supervisor assistant
Philippe Pangrazzi	....	location scout
Luc Poullain	....	helicopter pilot: camera
Dominique Segall	....	press attache
Françoise Thouvenot	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• A.J.O.Z. Films
• Gaumont
• Les Magnifiques
• Région Midi-Pyrénées (support)
• TF1 Films Production
• TPS (participation)

Distributors

• Gaumont Distribution (2007) (France) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Aerial Camera Systems  helicopter gyrostabilized camera system
• D.C.A.  sound transfer (as DCA)
• Liaisons Mondiales  travel agency
• Moteur!  publicity

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | France:U

Filming Locations:

Archives Départementales du Val d'Oise - 3 Avenue de la Palette, Pontoise, Val-d'Oise, France

Company:

A.J.O.Z. Films

Trivia:

Philippe Noiret's last screen appearance.

Fairly good comedy, lacking depth

Inferior to Patrice Leconte's fine meditation on friendship 'Mon meilleur Ami', inferior as well to Michel Boujenah's first movie as a director 'Père et fils', '3 Amis' is - for all that- a pleasant comedy that will make you have a good time in a theater or later in front of your TV set or PC.

The cast (Mathilde Seigner, a little more collected than usual, Kad Merad, Pascal Elbé and Yves Rénier) is top notch. And the comedy is generally effective; the most hilarious sequences are about Baptist (Merad) becoming fanatical about cleanliness, his "chance meeting" with a call-girl as well as César (Elbé)'s innumerable blunders. And the appearance of Philippe Noiret in his last role is a plus. To see one of the greatest French actors ever in such poor health is heartbreaking but as soon as Noiret starts speaking you forget cancer and admire his legendary acting skills. In the rather brief role of a garage owner he displays subtle irony and perfect timing.

Too bad this film remains a bit superficial. Although the misadventures of these three friends are funny, I felt a bit dissatisfied at the end of the film. I would have liked a more thorough examination of the notion of friendship, the mysterious ties that bind individuals despite the hazards of everyday life, the way Patrice Leconte had done in 'Mon meilleur Ami'. In spite of this, '3 amis' illustrates fairly well the fact that friendship is not a linear process, that it has ups and downs ant that - just like love -it must be kept alive and re-invented to exist and to keep existing. A fair effort on the whole, but Michel Boujenah can no doubt do better.