:
Ugo Tognazzi,
Ugo Tognazzi,
Michel Serrault,
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:
Edouard Molinaro,
Edouard Molinaro
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: 
: MGM
: Comedies, Foreign, France, Gay & Lesbian, Features
: 97 min.
: English, French
: English, Spanish, French
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An international comedy sensation based on a successful French stage play, La Cage aux Folles depicts the farcical chaos that results when a gay man attempts to pose as straight for the benefit of his son's future in-laws. Renato (Ugo Tognazzi) owns a popular nightclub and is the long-time lover of Zaza (Michel Serrault), a female impersonator who is the club's main attraction. Unfortunately, Renato's son Laurent (Remy Laurent) has told none of this to his future father-in-law, an important figure in a morally conservative political organization. Not wanting to ruin his son's chance of happiness, Renato agrees to pose as a straight man, but he finds his familiar habits, and those of the even more flamboyant Zaza, getting in the way at every turn. Zaza is the one who comes up with what he thinks is an ideal solution: he'll dress in drag and pose as Renato's wife. Naturally, the plan does not pan out as expected. La Cage aux Folles' pleasant, unthreatening comic sensibility attracted a large mainstream audience in both Europe and the United States, which was at the time unusual for a film with a homosexual theme. Indeed, the film was popular enough to inspire two remakes: a stage musical and, nearly two decades later, the Hollywood comedy The Birdcage with Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Gene Hackman. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
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| You'll like this if you liked the US remake
by dh22
July 1, 2004 - 12:06 PM PDT
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4 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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| La Cage Aux Folles is the original French film that was famously remade in the US as The Birdcage. I liked the US version, so I decide to rent the original. The French film is a bit wittier in its comedy, whereas the comedy in the US version is more "obvious." But I think I laughed more watching the US version. This wasn't too much of a surprise to me since the original is 25 years old. However, a few of the scenes are actually funnier in the French film. And no offense to Nathan Lane (who I thought did a great job,) but Michel Serrault was wonderful. Nathan Lane looked more like a man in a dress playing an ugly woman. Michel Serrault looked like an ugly woman. The thing that shocked me the most was how closely followed the US version is to the original. Scene by scene, even translated line by line. Its almost identical. Even down to some of the clothing, and furniture. The one major difference is in the ending. The "coming out", as it were, is done in a more dramatic fashion in the French film. I probably still like the US version more, but this one was fun too. Overall, I'd say it was funny, quirky and enjoyable. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.65)
199 Votes
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| What a Drag! |
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| Movies with a significant amount of drag. This list mostly concerns drag as performance, comedy or shock value, not transvestism and transexuals. |
Chyekk
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| French for the hard of hearing |
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| French films with French subtitles that closely match the spoken dialog. Useful for learning French language and pronunciation. Should be some here for all tastes. I'd love to know of others! |
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Chyekk
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