In the 1910s, director Jean Durand make a string of movies starring two two similar funny(?), Onésime and Calino. Both looked rather similar and both were bumbling boobs. And, I would agree with the other reviewer that apart from baggy pants, they were pretty interchangeable characters. Ernest Bourbon (Onésime) and Clément Mégé (Calino) made a ton of movies for Durand. However, in "Onésime se Marie, Calino Aussi", we find BOTH characters in the same film. In the last film together, the chemistry was not great--mostly the pair just bopped each other. Would this one be any better?
The film begins with Calino and his wife inheriting an estate from Uncle Cloche. However, Cloche was a weirdo and apparently hid his fortune somewhere in the huge old mansion in order to challenge Calino to use his mind for once! However, instead of leaving this us to him alone, the lawyer reading the will calls in a detective--Onésime. Now I was surprised by this, as another one of Durand's recurring characters, Zigoto, already had played a private detective.
Despite the film title listing both characters, the film really is Onésime's. I think this was a good idea, as this allowed Bourbon to use his crazy ability to take falls in this one--doing a lot of stuff that looked much like Buster Keaton's work. While a few of the stunts were tricks, it sure appeared as if Bourbon was tossed down a long flight of stairs (SOMEONE was--whether or not it was Bourbon, I have no idea) and the physicality of the film is impressive--especially for 1913. In addition, there are a few good laughs--making this a much better film than their last. Well worth seeing and quite well done.
The film begins with Calino and his wife inheriting an estate from Uncle Cloche. However, Cloche was a weirdo and apparently hid his fortune somewhere in the huge old mansion in order to challenge Calino to use his mind for once! However, instead of leaving this us to him alone, the lawyer reading the will calls in a detective--Onésime. Now I was surprised by this, as another one of Durand's recurring characters, Zigoto, already had played a private detective.
Despite the film title listing both characters, the film really is Onésime's. I think this was a good idea, as this allowed Bourbon to use his crazy ability to take falls in this one--doing a lot of stuff that looked much like Buster Keaton's work. While a few of the stunts were tricks, it sure appeared as if Bourbon was tossed down a long flight of stairs (SOMEONE was--whether or not it was Bourbon, I have no idea) and the physicality of the film is impressive--especially for 1913. In addition, there are a few good laughs--making this a much better film than their last. Well worth seeing and quite well done.
