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IMDbPro

May Fools

Original title: Milou en mai
  • 1990
  • R
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
May Fools (1990)
ComedyRomance

During the events of May 1968 in France, different worldviews of conflicting relatives are collide in their family estate.During the events of May 1968 in France, different worldviews of conflicting relatives are collide in their family estate.During the events of May 1968 in France, different worldviews of conflicting relatives are collide in their family estate.

  • Director
    • Louis Malle
  • Writers
    • Louis Malle
    • Jean-Claude Carrière
  • Stars
    • Miou-Miou
    • Michel Piccoli
    • Michel Duchaussoy
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    3.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Louis Malle
    • Writers
      • Louis Malle
      • Jean-Claude Carrière
    • Stars
      • Miou-Miou
      • Michel Piccoli
      • Michel Duchaussoy
    • 14User reviews
    • 19Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 2 wins & 7 nominations total

    Photos65

    May Fools (1990)
    Harriet Walter in May Fools (1990)
    Michel Piccoli in May Fools (1990)
    Michel Piccoli in May Fools (1990)
    Louis Malle in Murmur of the Heart (1971)
    May Fools (1990)
    Michel Piccoli in May Fools (1990)
    May Fools (1990)
    Bruno Carette, Paulette Dubost, Jeanne Herry, Michel Piccoli, and Harriet Walter in May Fools (1990)
    Michel Piccoli and Harriet Walter in May Fools (1990)
    François Berléand, Paulette Dubost, and Michel Duchaussoy in May Fools (1990)
    François Berléand, Dominique Blanc, Paulette Dubost, Miou-Miou, and Michel Piccoli in May Fools (1990)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Miou-Miou
    Miou-Miou
    • Camille
    Michel Piccoli
    Michel Piccoli
    • Milou
    Michel Duchaussoy
    Michel Duchaussoy
    • Georges
    Marcel Bories
    • Léonce
    Paulette Dubost
    Paulette Dubost
    • Mme Vieuzac
    Martine Gautier
    • Adèle
    Bernard Brocas
    • Le curé
    Hubert Saint-Macary
    • Paul
    Jeanne Herry
    Jeanne Herry
    • Françoise
    • (as Jeanne Herry-Leclerc)
    Benjamin Prieur
    • Les jumeaux
    Nicolas Prieur
    • Les jumeaux
    Georges Vaur
    • Pompes funèbres
    François Berléand
    François Berléand
    • Daniel
    • (as François Berleand)
    Dominique Blanc
    Dominique Blanc
    • Claire
    Stéphane Broquedis
    • Le jeune garagiste
    Rozenne Le Tallec
    • Marie-Laure
    Harriet Walter
    Harriet Walter
    • Lily
    Denise Juskiewenski
    • Mme Abel
    • Director
      • Louis Malle
    • Writers
      • Louis Malle
      • Jean-Claude Carrière
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jeanne Herry, who plays Françoise (the little girl) is the real-life daughter of Miou-Miou. In 2014 she directed her first feature film, 'Elle l'adore', starring Sandrine Kiberlain and Laurent Lafitte.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Die Hard 2/Ghost Dad/Days of Thunder/May Fools (1990)
    • Soundtracks
      Prélude: 'GENERAL LAVINE' Eccentric
      Music by Claude Debussy (as Debussy)

      Piano: Jean-Francois Heisser

    User reviews14

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    May Wine
    Malle made only two films after this one, Damage, and Vanya On 42nd Street and it's tempting to view Milou en Mai as a rehearsal for Vanya though in the end the differences outweigh the similarities. It IS set on a country estate that is running to seed and there IS a 'Vanya' figure in Milou himself (Michel Piccoli) who more or less tends the estate in the absence of his siblings - one deceased, one pursuing his own career. There IS a family gathering with all that that implies, bickering, truth-telling, laughter, tears, accusations, recriminations etc. Perhaps above all it is a MOOD piece which does put it in the same universe as Chekhov but it is ultimately too easy to read it in this way. It was a masterstroke to place it at the time of the student riots in Paris, May, 1968 and this strengthens the links with Chekhov who, of course, wrote his own masterpieces at a time when Russia was undergoing changes unacknowledged by his gentlefolk with their heads in the metaphorical sand of dachas serenely remote from the turbulence. This is a film of great lyricism and melancholia with a gentle Jazz music score by Stephane Grappelly and the action, such as it is, is kick-started by the death of Milou's mother which necessitates summoning the family for the funeral. Again like Chekhov what we have here is an ensemble piece rather than Leading Man, Leading Lady, Juvenile, Ingenue, etc and the acting is uniformly excellent from Miou-Miou as Milou's daughter, Camille, to Francois Berleand as the family lawyer who drives a red Alfa Romeo and still carries a torch for Camille, to Valerie Lemercier in the small but telling role of Madame Boutelleau. The events in far-off Paris punctuate but are not allowed to dominate and barely to influence the action leaving the family - and non-family - to quarrel, couple, fail-to-couple and relate the occasional home truth. In short a lovely Autumnal movie.
    helpful•29
    3
    • writers_reign
    • May 24, 2005

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 1990 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Italy
    • Official site
      • Official Site (France)
    • Languages
      • French
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Eine Komödie im Mai
    • Filming locations
      • Château du Calaoue, Saint-Lizier-du-Planté, Gers, France(main location)
    • Production companies
      • Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF)
      • TF1 Films Production
      • Ellepi Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,576,702
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $20,078
      • Jun 24, 1990
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,576,702
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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