''L'Avare'' is a 1980 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 ...

written and directed by

Louis de Funès Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fil ...

and

Jean Girault Jean Girault (; 9 May 1924 – 24 July 1982) was a French film director and screenwriter. From 1951 to 1960 he worked as a screenwriter, mainly for comedy films. He made his film debut as a director in 1960. He directed more than thirty films bet ...

, and starring de Funès. The English title of the film is ''The Miser''. It is an adaptation of Molière's famous comedy ''

L'Avare ''The Miser'' (french: L'Avare; ; also known by the longer name ''L'Avare ou L'École du Mensonge,'' meaning The Miser, or the School for Lies) is a five-act comedy in prose by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed on September 9 ...

'' (''The Miser''). De Funès tried to draw out the unhappy side of the character. Harpagon, unloved by humanity, is driven to an obsessive love of money.

Cast

: Harpagon * : Cléante * : Valère *

Michel Galabru Michel Louis Edmond Galabru (27 October 19224 January 2016) was a French actor. Career Galabru appeared in more than 250 films and worked with directors such as Bertrand Blier, Costa-Gavras, Luc Besson (for ''Subway''), and Jean-Luc Godard. ...

: Maître Jacques * : Anselme *

Claude Gensac Claude Gensac (1 March 1927 – 27 December 2016) was a French actress. She appeared in more than 70 films and television productions since 1952. Gensac is the oldest nominee to date in the category César Award for Best Supporting Actress, nomi ...

: Frosine * Claire Dupray: Élise, Miser's daughter * : Marianne, Cléante's girlfriend *

Bernard Menez Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "brav ...

: La Flèche, Cléante's valet * Henri Génès: the commissioner *

Michel Modo Michel Modo (born Michel Henri Louis Goi; 30 March 1937 - 25 September 2008) was a French actor and humorist. Modo died of cancer on 25 September 2008 in Vaires-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne). Career He is best known in France for having formed in ...

: la Merluche, Harpagon's attendant *

Guy Grosso Guy Grosso (19 August 1933–2001) was a French actor and humorist. Guy Grosso was the pseudonym of Guy Marcel Sarrazin. He was probably best known as half of Grosso and Modo (together with Michel Modo). Selected filmography *''La Belle Amér ...

: Brindavoine, Harpagon's attendant * : Maître Simon * : Dame Claude, the housemaid *

Madeleine Barbulée Madeleine Barbulée (2 September 1910 – 1 January 2001) was a French film, stage and television actress.''French Cinema in the 1970s: The Echoes of May'' p.265 Selected filmography * ''Métier de fous'' (1948) * '' Les Casse Pieds'' (1948) - ...

: Marianne's mother

Reception

The film is rated 70% Fresh by

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

References

External links

* *
L'Avare (1980)
Films de France 1980 films Films based on works by Molière French films based on plays French comedy films 1980s French-language films Films directed by Jean Girault 1980 comedy films Films based on works by Plautus 1980s French films {{1980s-comedy-film-stub