Naked Normandy

François Cluzet is a highly reliable and even gifted actor, as demonstrated in LES INTOUCHABLES, MEDECIN DE CAMPAGNE, and LA MECANIQUE DE L'OMBRE, among others. But he cannot carry this film on his own, especially when he is so insufficiently aided by a cast of unknowns who were probably hired locally.

Suffice it to say that the most imaginative - and funny - scene in the whole film is the opening sequence, where a character we do not see again gets out of his camping tent, starts urinating and realizes that he is smack bang in the middle of a nudity camp.

There are many subplots, mostly meaningless fillers, but perhaps the most baffling is one about a fellow who has an agency in Paris but decides to move to the country, with a daughter who doubles up as narrator with a vandalistic graffiti streak who keeps spraying "à poil" (get naked) on the windows of a former local beauty competition winner; he starts suffering from respiratory problems prompted by allergies but he remains adamant that he wants to stay in the country; in the end, completely unexpectedly and after all manner of illness and other shortcomings as a result of his alleged desire to live in nature, he admits that he is dying to get back to Paris. So narrator and he fly by helicopter to Paris while the wife stays for the communal photograh in stark nudity... huh?!

The inevitable feud over a land claim also rears its head, the land claimer even threatens others with a gun, but the whole issue is so amiably settled that you know you're watching a fairy tale.

As if that were not dire enough, two "Americans" (they sound British, but this is a French film for French audiences) turn up and one of them has earned a reputation out of photographing naked crowds. Cluzet, as the mayor, first opposes it, then seems to think that it is an opportunity to show the plight of local cattle farmers... but some locals oppose it, including the former beauty contest winner's jealous husband, who brandishes a big kitchen knife but is ultimately as harmless as he is fat.

Cluzet gets his pièce de resistance in a scene in which he fakes suicide by hanging, but it is embarrassingly poorly done, followed by adult men throwing hay at each other. Huh?!

And so it goes on, right up to the utterly wayward and mendacious ending, which suggests that Normandy's fate hangs on a nude photo.

Two minor saving graces: pleasant landscape photography and good use of local colloquial language, giving the film a credible rural feel.

Sadly, direction, plot and script all oscillate between uninspired and amateurish. I could not wait for the end and left feeling annoyed that I had paid to watch such childish stuff.

I can see the rating so far is 5.5 and I'm in agreement with this - slightly above average for me. In case you don't get my title , if you've seen the movie you probably know that "a poile" means 'naked'. Poile in french is body hair (head hair is 'cheveu' ) so 'a poile' is reminiscent of English 'Birthday suit'. As for "Au poile" it means 'perfect' (to the precision of one hair) - Non related but for your information; when one make things unnecessary difficult the expression is "couper les cheveux en quatre" Split hairS (this time head hair) in four" yes usually head hair in french is pluralised! Perhaps in English it's understood 'split hair' means in thousand parts!) I did not find the 'nakedness' idea very original after "The full Monty" and by now the use of nude calendars to promote whatever group or cause. Neither did i think there was much to save the village in the given proposition so again it was a little of a loss for me But there were some funny moments. I am a fan of Francois Cluzet and enjoyed many of his movies. This one was was more pleasant than pleasing for me . On my phone I read a critic mentioning that the subtitles were missing when English was spoken. I think it's often the case and not good for my wife and I who go to see foreign movies mainly because our defective hearing ability and know we'll get subtitles. I hope one day technology will provide some kind of glasses that shows subtitles for those who need them! But as an ex dairy farmer worker I could identify with quite a few of rural and agricultural situation although I have never had issues with the Germans or the Romanians. Else there was much of it. The ending was for me a little too "watered down" and somehow quite predictable. I was a little skeptic of the glamourous reviews on the papers so was not really disappointed as I toned down my expectation.

A warming story of interwoven lives and the struggle of change when traditions are deeply ingrained. I really enjoyed this film.

The French type of humour is rough and honest which is refreshing. The characters were all very real, with so much relevant backstory to each individual. The dialogue is excellent, showing relationships and giving information without delivering it directly as so many films do. The village feels tangibly isolated and appropriately stuck in old ways. You must see this film!

For a point of reference, and since it will inevitably be compared to The Intouchables, I gave that movie 10/10 because it could not be any better and is one of my favourites of all time. This is a different movie: watch it as such.