Hibernatus

The frozen body of Paul Fournier (Bernard Alane) is discovered in Greenland where he had disappeared during a scientific expedition circa1905. Perfectly conserved he is brought back to life in the 1960 to surprise of investigators and scientists . His descendants , a wealthy upper-class man named Hubert de Tartas (wonderfully played by the great Louis de Funes) and his wife Edmée de Tartas (Claude Gensac) take care of him . To spare him the cultural shock they behave so to make believe it's 1905 , as he is not aware that many decades have passed . But things go wrong when some fake characters pose as his ascendants causing confusion and mayhem .

This enjoyable film is a Louis de Funes recital , he stooges , makes acrobatics , tongue twister and puts faces and grimaces . It's a pretty amusing farce that will appeal to Funes fans . In this top-notch comedy , here the splendid and brilliant comedian Louis de Funes plays a stiff-upper-lip , rich businessman called Hubert de Tartas about to marry his son , Didier de Tartas , actual real-life son, Olivier De Funes , all of them get in trouble when his wife's grandfather has been revived thanks to science . Very stylish Seventies film with full of color , fast-moving , as well as overacting , twisted mountage , gaudy scenarios , lavish production , dated gowns , and anything else. Funny and entertaining Louis de Funes vehicle in which he shows his ordinary excessive vein that we watch before. Here Funes faces a quite weird problem , boasting his farsical skills and extraordinary qualities that we see very often. Louis de Funès shot to international fame in the 1960's after his roles in such slapstick comedies as Gendarme Saint-Tropez (1964) and the Fantomas (1964) trilogy . He brilliantly portrayed a funny French policeman , whose hilarious hyperactivity , uncontrolled anger, and sardonic laughter produced a highly comic effect. Funès was voted the most favorite actor in France in 1968, and remained very popular in Europe during the 1970's. He also continued to play on stage during his career as a film star, and was acclaimed for his stage works in classic French theatre . Funès was instrumental in making film adaptations of such theatre plays as 'Oscar continues' and the Molière's 'The Miser', among other plays . His first cinematic roles were "Devil and 10 Commandments" , "Captain Fracassa" , "La Vendetta" until his biggest hits as "Don't look we are being shot" along with Bourvil , Fantomas trilogy along with Jean Marais , Mylene Demengeot : "Fantomas" , "Fantomas Strikes Again", "Fantomas vs Scotland Yard" , to "The Cadillac Man" , "The Restaurant" , "Wing and the thigh" and his last film feature : "The mad adventures of Rabbi Jacob" . Although Funes really excelled in Ludovico Cruchot series as "Le Gendarme of Saint Tropez" , "Gendarme in Balade", "Le Gendarme in N. Y." , "Le Gendarme and creatures of outer space" and "Le Gendarme and Gendarmettes".

Hibernatus (1969) displays a charming and lively musical score by Georges Delerue with plenty of attractive and catching sounds . As well as atmospheric and colorful cinematography in Eastmancolor by cameraman Marcel Crignon . The film was well directed by Eduardo Molinaro who orchestrates the action with military precision, injecting attractive life into the proceedings. Movie director and screenwriter Molinaro was a good French filmmaker who made all kinds of genres with penchant for Comedy , in fact his most commercial films have been comedies . He started making short films and won several amateur film awards before working on feature films as an assistant director in 1949 . Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1961 , this French director of the New Wave movement started out making crime films, before directing his first big hit : Oscar (1967) , being best known for commercially successful comedies , as he directed : Le souper, Beaumarchais the scoundrel , L'amour en douce , Palace and his biggest boxoffice : La Cage aux folles that had its successful American version : The mad Cage . Hibernatus (1969) Picture is a Funes vehicle , and many consider his best comedy , he's an authentic comedian and real farceur . If you like Louis de Funes's crazy interpretation , you will most definitely enjoy this one .