Bon Voyage

2003 [FRENCH]

Action / Comedy / Drama / Mystery / Romance / Thriller / War

14
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 75% · 96 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 75% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 6.7/10 10 5313 5.3K

Plot summary

On the eve of World War II four Parisians cope with the impending invasion of their city by German forces. While the French government braces for impact, the intersected lives of a young writer, a vain movie star, a French politician and a young scientist are examined as they attempt to deal with war and evade German spies.

Director

Jean-Paul Rappeneau Photo
Jean-Paul Rappeneau

Top cast

Serpentine Teyssier Photo
Serpentine Teyssier as La secrétaire de Beaufort
Catherine Chevallier Photo
Catherine Chevallier as La fille de l'érudit
Edward Hamilton-Clark Photo
Edward Hamilton-Clark
Grégori Derangère Photo
Grégori Derangère as Frédéric Auger
720p.BluRay 720p.WEB 1080p.BluRay 1080p.WEB
1.03 GB
1280*534
French 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   fr  
24 fps
1 hr 54 min
Seeds ...
1.07 GB
1204*720
French 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   fr  
23.976 fps
1 hr 54 min
Seeds ...
2.12 GB
1920*800
French 5.1
NR
Subtitles us   fr  
24 fps
1 hr 54 min
Seeds 3
2.08 GB
1792*1072
French 2.0
NR
Subtitles us   fr  
23.976 fps
1 hr 54 min
Seeds 2

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by readinglips 8 / 10

What a terrific movie!

I found this DVD in the library and based on the jacket notes, it looked like it might possibly be interesting: a black comedy set in 1940 France, just as the Germans are marching in. ("Boy, that should have them rolling in the aisles…") But it does! This is a clever, original, suspenseful and funny film. I don't recall seeing anything like it before – foreign or U.S. That the writer/director can find humor when we know part of the outcome (the Germans will occupy France for four years) is remarkable. That he does it with such charm is part of the delight. What starts off as black comedy and fluff even ends up having a couple of serious moments – including a race to spirit out a cache of "heavy water" (which was part of the preliminary research for the A-bomb) and a quick History 101 intro to the beginnings of the collaborationist Vichy Government that would govern Southern France for much of the German occupation.* But don't let any of that that scare you off: the movie itself is funny, charming and romantic and races ahead at steady clip.One of the best things about it is the combination of actors we've seen many times (Adjani and Depardieu) and others we've never heard of before. Along the way, there are two star-making turns: Virginie Leydoyen and Grégori Derangère. Both are impressive, but Mr. Derangère is especially so. According to IMDb, he was in ten films before this one – but he also won the Cesar as "Most Promising Actor" for this role, so apparently he was not all that well known even in France. He is a combination of romantic lead and comic actor – and he makes it all seem so effortless. You may be reminded of Cary Grant in "Bringing Up Baby" and "Arsenic and Old Lace" – it's hard to do comedy on film because the risks are enormous that the actor can come off looking inept. But Grant pulled it off charmingly, and this guy does also. I should think we're going to hear more about him in the future.To be sure, this film won't please everyone – there's a little bit of violence, although nothing you don't see on TV every day. But if you're up for something original, you may feel after you've seen this that you've unearthed a cinematic gem.* The so-called "spoiler" in this comment.
Reviewed by themarina1 7 / 10

Strangely Coherent

An interesting pairing of stories, this little flick manages to bring together seemingly different characters and story lines all in the backdrop of WWII and succeeds in tying them together without losing the audience. I was impressed by the depth portrayed by the different characters and also by how much I really felt I understood them and their motivations, even though the time spent on the development of each character was very limited. The outstanding acting abilities of the individuals involved with this picture are easily noted. A fun, stylized movie with a slew of comic moments and a bunch more head shaking events.7/10
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