Hibernatus

De Funes movies have filled my childhood and "Hibernatus" didn't leave me a good memory. At the time, I couldn't stand the doctor (Londsale) and the "hibernatus". In addition, i felt stuck in the big old furnished mansion.

Today, I find it rather enjoyable. The "hibernatus" really appears during the second half of the movie and the interview of the actor 30 years later available on the bonus helps soften his character. Moreover, De Funes steals the show as always and has the genius to turn "bad" guys into memorable characters.

As I underlined in other reviews, a truly good comedy surprises you at each viewing because you can't remember all the funny moments. This is also the case here.

In comparison with today movies, its short length (80 min) is appreciable because it's fast paced and has no time out.

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 .

For the second time director Edouard Molinaro and French comic star Louis De Funès worked together, after "Oscar" (1967).

In 1969 a group of scientists discover a frozen body, which belongs to a young man of 1900. This man still lives and after many adventures his custody is granted to his family (Louis De Funès and his wife, who is...the granddaughter of the man!). For avoiding him the big shock of living at the end of the Sixties, all his family dress and behave as if they were at the beginning of the century!

The comedy shows again the qualities of De Funès, who was unique with grimaces and nervous tics. The French actor was like a clown, many children and adults adored him.

"Hibernatus" is a nice movie, although a little too pretentious -De Funès made better films-. The story is a bit absurd, but the picture is still watchable for his leading actor.

This is a neat little comedy about a man who has survived in a frozen state for more than half a century. When he wakes up (not having aged at all) all his surroundings have been adapted to make him believe he is still living in his own time. Of course, this charade cannot be maintained for very long.

This is a pleasant little comedy, giving people a nice excuse to wear colourful old-fashioned clothes, without necessarily behaving the way the clothes and the decor would indicate. The film has its weaknesses, in particular it is difficult to see why the scientists go through all the trouble. Worse, Olivier de Funes (who plays it straight) lacks the required charisma to carry the film, and we don't get quite enough action from his famous father.

Louis de Funès was one of the funniest French comic actors and none of those on the scene today can even compare with him. Many of his films made in the 1960's and 70's are evergreens of French comedy and remain popular even today. Hibernatus is one of the best, together with Rabbi Jacob, La Grande Vadrouille and Le Corniaud (The Sucker). The script lively, the film only 78 mins long and Claude Gensac as his long standing "ma biche !" is magnificent. The film is basically about De Funes's wife's grandfather who is found frozen in the ice and comes back to life with his family in 1969 ! All surroundings are made to look oldy-worldy so that he may think he is still in 1905. All this gives rise to some comic situations where De Funès has to disguise himself first as the grandfather's father, and then as suitor to his mother. Without going any more into the detail of the plot one can say that it is highly amusing and entertaining. It has recently been issued on DVD in France with very good picture quality and French Subtitles, together with several other famous de Funès comedies, such as La Folie des Grandeurs, Oscar, L'Homme Orchestre ..............