21/07/2022
By binternet
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Christian Clavier: "The comics are recognized when they no longer bother"<

The with the Mystery Police Comedy in Saint-Tropez, in the cinema this Wednesday, July 14, Christian Clavier pays tribute to the Panthère Rose Etse Dream in Peter Sellers French.

Christian Clavierre comes this Wednesday, July 14 with a new comedy, mystery in Saint-Tropez.A wacky police comedy located in the Holy Tropez of the 1970s, with colorful characters, and written with his lifelong accomplice, Jean-Marie Poiré.

They associated themselves with the screenwriter Jean-François Hallin (Oss 117) and director Nicolas Benamou (Babysitting) to give life to this pastiche of the comedies of Blake Edwards with Peter Sellers (La Panthère Rose, La Party) which pays homage to Burlesque cinema.Surrounded by Benoît Poelvoorde, Thierry Lhermitte, Gérard Depardieu and Virginie Hocq, Christian Clavier gives himself to heart in this filmoù he embodies for the first time in his career a police officer, but also a con, in the line of Jacques Clouseau andby François Pignon.

Very happy with his new creation, Christian Clavier would like to see Inspector Jean Boullin, his mystery character in Saint Tropez, becoming as emblematic as Jacquouille (visitors) Henri Verneuil (Le Bon Dieu) or Katia (Santa Claus is aDrop).A role that is particularly close to his heart: "It is the first time that he has played a police officer and he has a gun, too", laughs Nicolas Benamou, before adding:

On the occasion of the exit to the cinema of Mystery in Saint-Tropez, the one who remains the best current comic actor confides in the microphone of BFMTV on his last cinematographic adventure which once again brocade French arrogance.Christian Clavier also evokes his attachment to France, the last César where he was rewarded with his comrades of the Splendid, his projects and his inheritance.

"Mystery in Saint-Tropez", is that a bit of your "pink panthesis"?

With Jean-Marie Poiré, we are crazy admirers of Blake Edwards and the Pink Panther.We said to ourselves that he had pumped us, that he had made a null maigret to make fun of French arrogance!But we can do it ourselves! So we imagined the natural son of Maigret and Clouseau to make an Agatha Christie in 1970 in a billionaire house in Saint-Tropez.We were inspired by the spirit of the movies of Blake Edwards, La Panthère Rose, La Party, Victor Victoria...Films extraordinarily treated in terms of aesthetics that never skimp on gags ...

Is that why you produce "mystery in Saint-Tropez" yourself?

Exactly.When I have the feeling that by producing, we will bring a capital gains, because we really have to put the money on the screen, I go there.Today, we often have extremely low budget comedies, because we say that it will work whatever happens, and that it will bring money - and that the film is good or not good, it n'is not so serious.I find it a pity.I who have been trained, and who shot a lot with Christian Fechner, Claude Berri, people who made a carpet when they made the movies, I cannot recommend something to you public without risking money.Cinema happens by risking money.

This is the first time that you have played a police officer...

It was very interesting.This is what pleased Jean-Marie.My character is bad, but he has a completely intelligent background.He theorizes.It’s France: we theorizes everything, we give lessons to everyone, and the world is looking at us, dismayed to see what we do with it.

This is also the first time that you have played an idiot.

Christian Clavier:

There is a real idiot.Interpret a character like that, it is extraordinarily fun and satisfactory, because it is the gaze of others that makes you live.It’s a film of looks.It is not a frantic rhythm in which everything should be mounted as a clip, but the reverse.This is really the principle of Slowburn Anglo-Saxon, particularly strong in Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers, in which it is the dismayed look of the character who creates the comic.To play a real idiot, you have to become one.We must not play it, otherwise we see the strings of our interpretation.

We feel more comfortable surrounded by a troop or in duo than in solo.

There, I wanted to make the duo with Benoît, who is the director who makes me laugh the most in the world, and there is all around us a troop.I always loved the troops.I find that you are never better than when we are surrounded by actors and actresses.I don't believe at all in one man show cinema.You have to be generous with each other to be generous with the public.My career is a complete sharing.

The film took place in 1970, the year of your eighteen...

It’s absolutely great to meet at that time.It is the start of pop, completely different human-female relationships.Everything is light.It's the Thirty Glorious.We think of the holidays, the holidays.We discover everything.Nothing is serious.Everything is cheerful.It’s absolutely beautiful.The cars are sumptuous, the boats also.

So is it a tribute to the time spent?

It is not at all to pay tribute.But it's a relaxed era!We have naked breasts on the beach.We have pipes stuffed with strange products.We have totally grotesque pirate holidays.Ridicule does not kill.Everything is light, léger, léger.And it seems to me that today, it is more and more complicated to make light comedies, with all the prohibitions that we have.It’s not a tribute, it’s a resumption of freedom!

The film was originally a very nostalgic title: "Do you do you Saint-Tropez".

We changed it because we could have had the feeling that we made a film to remember an era with nostalgia.But we are not at all in nostalgia!We have fun, because it allows more opportunities than today, but it is an investigation, which could have taken place today.

You say at one point to the character of Depardieu: "What country France".There is still a form of nostalgia in the film ...

This is France that I loved.That time ... I am incredibly heir to France.I love France.I love France, les Français et sa culture.Its culture of comedy, and its actors.There is a specificity to our country that I claim, and that I love."There is no better", he says, and it is true that at times there is no better than France, and in other moments, we tell ourselves that there is reallynot worse.

You say that this film makes fun of French arrogance.Isn't that the subject of all your latest comedies, from "teachers" to "welcome to the Malawas" via "Le Bon Dieu", "A Bras Open" and "Ibiza"?

It's true.We are arrogant because of having been an empire that we are no longer.When the United States gives lessons it is painful, but it is in a position to do so.When France gives lessons, it's ridiculous.So it's an open door for comedies.I like faults.I love our faults.

Do you plan a suite at "Mystery in Saint-Tropez"?

I would love. I would love faireMystère à Berlin, Mystère à Istanbul.

You filmed in the spring "the good god 3".What should we expect?

He is very good.He's better than the second film.This is very funny, what [director Philippe de Chauveron] wrote.He renews things because there are parents-in-law.All parents-in-law.He found the verve of the first film.It's very stupid, it's very good.

What are your other cinema projects?

I have lots of writing projects in the head.You'll see.Always in the spirit of representing France, the French.

You make more comedies than dramas.Why?

I always try to respect the jobs.I was trained by people - Michel Serrault, Pierre Mondy, Tsilla Chelton - who gave you jobs: first comic, young first, etc..If I am given in a dramatic film my good job, I will accept.Lino [Ventura], in the tontons flingueurs, plays the same job as in the army of shadows.These are not the same situations or the same dialogue, but it is the same job.If we respect that, I do it.But if it is to make a character to please me or to prove that technically, I am able to do it, it is narcissism and that does not interest the public.I find that you must always contact the public.

Review the full splendid troop at the César was moving.But we felt you a little behind.

No ... they had decided to get us on stage in this order.We followed the order.There was nothing premeditated.

Thierry Lhermitte wore the real costume of "Santa Claus is a garbage"?

Absolutely.It allows us to show what the French way and their remarkable fabrics were. It's truement un costume qu’il peut léguer à ses enfants et à ses petits-enfants.They will do what they want, but it's beautiful.It’s a gift for France.He didn't have a bit of a bit!It’s a real bullshit.Real bullshit does not go out of fashion.The real comedies are not untrue.

What are you going to do Caesar?

I will put it in my office, on a shelf, like everyone else.

Are you happy to have a César?

It's extremely friendly.They sent us a very kind letter.There is no reason to spit on something that we are given.Afterwards, we were a little bit surprised by the ceremony.