Western (1997)

Catalonian Paco is a traveling rep for a shoe manufacturer. When he stops to pick up Russian emigree hitchhiker Nino, Paco soon finds himself on the side of the road with everything stolen ... See full summary »

Director:

Manuel Poirier

Writers:

Jean-François Goyet, Manuel Poirier (screenplay)

Stars:

Sergi López, Sacha Bourdo, Élisabeth Vitali

5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sergi López	...	Paco Cazale
Sacha Bourdo	...	Nino
Élisabeth Vitali	...	Marinette
Marie Matheron	...	Nathalie
Daphné Gaudefroy	...	Hitch-Hiker
Karine LeLièvre	...	Mr. Letour's Secretary (voice)
Jean-Louis Dupont	...	Policeman
Olivier Herveet	...	Hospital Doctor
Alain Luc Guhur	...	Hospital Attendant
Bernard Mazzinghi	...	Roland (Marinette's Brother)
Alain Denniel	...	Bearded Man in Hospital Ward
Serge Riaboukine	...	Van Driver
Michel Vivier	...	Car Driver
Mélanie Leray	...	Guenaelle
Catherine Riaux	...	Guenaelle's Friend

Storyline

Catalonian Paco is a traveling rep for a shoe manufacturer. When he stops to pick up Russian emigree hitchhiker Nino, Paco soon finds himself on the side of the road with everything stolen out from under him. Local gift shop owner Marinette gives the Spaniard a lift. Their mutual attraction manifests itself quickly, and Paco, who was fired over the stolen-car episode, hangs around. When he happens to spot Nino in the same town, he beats up the scrawny Russian, who lands in the hospital. Oddly enough, this marks the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Paco and Nino soon take the trip down the road together.

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Plot Keywords:

gas canister | russian | hospital | stolen car | shoes | 

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Taglines:

Two bachelors. Two weeks on the road. What could go wrong?

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

24 July 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lännen mailla

Filming Locations:

Brittany, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$110,942, 31 July 1998

Gross USA:

$200,840, 7 March 1999

Company Credits

Production Co:

Salomé, Diaphana Films, Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Especial Cannes: 50 Anos de Festival (1997)

User Reviews

on the French roads...

Beware with the title of this movie! It isn't a western at all. Besides, French westerns don't exist. It's just a road-movie. Unlike to the USA, France isn't really specialized with this kind of movie. Nevertheless, I think that the few French road-movies can rival their American fellows. "Western" ranks among them and it's with this movie that Manuel Poirier went down in history by imposing his talent to the general public.

Like in a major part of road-movies, what interests the film-maker is the behavior and especially the evolution of his character(s). Here, in the very beginning of this movie, nothing can anticipate a friendship between the two main characters. However, as the movie goes along, by traveling the country, they learn to know each other. Poirier makes his two main actors nice and at the end, if Paco failed to win Marinette's love, he could gain the friendship and the comfort of his partner.

But "Western" is also an occasion for Poirier to take a realistic and sometimes ironical look on the France of the nineties, especially through Baptiste's zany game: "Bonjour, la France".

The only fault of this movie is that sometimes it drags on due to tiresome and a little pointless sequences that bring really nothing to the movie. But if you take away this fault, "Western" is a successful road-movie where you find again the omnipresence of the country, a landscape dear to Poirier.