Buffet Froid (1979)

Black comedy about solitude and the dehumanization of the modern world, through the adventures of three men. First introduced is Alphonse Tram, an unemployed young man. His only neighbour ... See full summary »

Director:

Bertrand Blier

Writer:

Bertrand Blier

Stars:

Gérard Depardieu, Bernard Blier, Jean Carmet

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gérard Depardieu	...	Alphonse Tram
Bernard Blier	...	Inspecteur Morvandieu / Insp. Morvandieu
Jean Carmet	...	L'assassin / The murderer
Denise Gence	...	L'hôtesse / The hostess
Marco Perrin	...	Le maçon / The man in undershirt
Jean Benguigui	...	L'homme en noir / The hired killer
Carole Bouquet	...	Le jeune femme / The young woman at the end
Jean Rougerie	...	Eugène Léonard, le témoin
Liliane Rovère	...	Josyane
Bernard Crombey	...	Le toubib / The doctor (as Bernard Crommbey)
Michel Fortin	...	L'escogriffe
Roger Riffard	...	Le garde de la tour
Maurice Travail	...	Le garde du terrain vague
Nicole Desailly	...	La femme divorcée
Pierre Frag	...	L'homme divorcé

Storyline

Black comedy about solitude and the dehumanization of the modern world, through the adventures of three men. First introduced is Alphonse Tram, an unemployed young man. His only neighbour is the police chief-inspector Morvandieu. Then a third man appears: he is Alphonse's wife's murderer... Bizarre and unreal.

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Plot Keywords:

subway station | bloody knife | shot to death | absurd | darkness | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

19 December 1979 (France)

Also Known As:

Buffet Froid

Filming Locations:

Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse, Isère, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

France 2 (FR2), Sara Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film had 777,127 admissions in France which was considered a failure. It has however since gained cult status.

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Goofs

When Insp. Morvandieu fires his gun, for the first time and at the end, he shoots 10 rounds in a row without reloading, whereas he uses a 6 chambers revolver.

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Connections

Referenced in Merci la vie (1991)

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Soundtracks

Quatuor Opus 51 No 1
Written by Johannes Brahms

User Reviews

Are you an ear, nose and throat specialist?

Seriously, Gerard Depardieu has done very little for English language cinema. 1492? My Father The Hero? Green Card? I'll pass, thanks. But with subtitles he's great. This little-known absurdist drama puts him as one of three mismatched men linked by murder and random chance. The films opens at a train station where Depardieu meets a man who is soon dead – possibly by Depardieu's own hand. His wife dismisses it, but is soon dead herself. The police detective upstairs doesn't want to know, he has his own problems. And then the wife's murderer shows up for a chat. Could be a terrible thriller – is a bizarre comedy. The daunting, oppressive cityscapes in the bulk of the film eventually give way to a disconcerting bucolic countryside for the finale, but the surrealism never lets up. Enter this world, and don't expect to leave intact.