''The Joker'' (french: Le Farceur) is a 1960 French

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Philippe de Broca Philippe de Broca (; 15 March 1933 – 26 November 2004) was a French movie director. He directed 30 full-length feature films, including the highly successful ''That Man from Rio, That Man from Rio (''L'Homme de Rio'')'', ''Le Magnifique, The M ...

Plot

Edouard Berlon is a young, incorrigible seducer who moves very lightly from one affair to the next. He meets Helene Larouch, a woman married to André, a rich financier who is very busy with his affairs, leaving her in an emotionally arid life. Initially Helene resists Edouard's wooing, but as she gets to know his lively character, his eccentric lifestyle and his very unusual family environment, including his old uncle Théodose, his brother Pilou, servat Olga, some infants, and a few stray dogs, she lets herself become seduced. Their relation, however, turns out to be an ephemeral one as Edouard is busy seducing another woman.

Cast

Anouk Aimée Nicole Françoise Florence Dreyfus (born 27 April 1932), known professionally as Anouk Aimée () or Anouk, is a French film actress, who has appeared in 70 films since 1947, having begun her film career at age 14. In her early years, she studi ...

as Helene Larouch *

Jean-Pierre Cassel Jean-Pierre Cassel (born Jean-Pierre Crochon; 27 October 1932 – 19 April 2007) was a French actor. Early life Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, the son of Louise-Marguerite (née Fabrègue), an opera sin ...

as Edouard Berlon *

Pierre Palau Pierre Palau (13 August 1883 – 3 December 1966), often known simply as Palau, was a French actor. Palau was born Pierre Palau del Vitri in Paris and died at age 83 in Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, France. Partial filmography * '' When Do You Commi ...

as Théodose *

Geneviève Cluny Geneviève Cluny (born 18 April 1928) is a former French film actress. She appeared in both French New Wave films as well as popular mainstream commercial productions during the 1950s and 1960s. She is credited for the basic idea on which Jean- ...

as Pilou Berlon *

Georges Wilson Georges Wilson (16 October 1921 – 3 February 2010) was a French film and television actor. He was the father of French actor Lambert Wilson. Biography Wilson was born in Champigny-sur-Marne, Seine (now Val-de-Marne) as the illegitimate s ...

as Guillaume Berlon * Anne Tonietti as Olga *

François Maistre François Maistre (14 May 1925 – 16 May 2016) was a French film, television and theatre actor. Born in Demigny, Saône-et-Loire, France, he appeared in nearly 100 films between 1960 and 2003. His father was singer and actor A.-M. Julien. Se ...

as André Laroche * Jean-Pierre Rambal as Paul * Liliane Patrick as Solange * Irène Chabrier as Aline, servant at the inn

Release

The film had its premiere at the

Locarno Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, s ...

in August 1960, but was not released commercially until 20 January 1961 in France and 7 August 1961 in New York. During the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, the film was presented with other classics at the Cinéma de la Plage, a non-competitive part of the official selection that is open to the public. In 12 November 2013, the film was presented at the

Cinémathèque québécoise The Cinémathèque québécoise is a film conservatory in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Its purpose is to preserve, document, film and television footage and related documents and artifacts for future use by the public. The Cinémathèque's collectio ...

Montréal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...

Critical response

The film has been described as "a lot of genial fun" as the plot evolves. It also has been described as whimsical and in parts "nutty" for the eccentric lifestyle of the hero and his family. French critics, on the other hand, find subtle qualities in the presentation of the characters as uncle Théodose is described as "an original, old uncle" as well as poetic connotations in the overall work.

References

External links

* 1960s French-language films 1960 romantic comedy films 1960 films French romantic comedy films 1960s French films {{romantic-comedy-film-stub