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‘Grosse Fatigue’
By Joyce Jones
Washington Post Staff Writer
July 21, 1995
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IF ONLY HUGH Grant had this excuse: His double did it. In French writer/director/actor Michel Blanc's "Grosse Fatigue" ("Dead Tired"), Blanc portrays himself and his doppelganger. The comedy of mistaken identity is a clever, sometimes clunky commentary on the absurdity of "star culture."Blanc ("Menage" and "Monsieur Hire") plays a mopey French comedic actor with writer's block. While the real Blanc moons about his Paris apartment, the anti-Blanc is living it up and leaving a wake of orgies, propositioned actresses and homemade rabbit pâte. Blanc, befuddled by the police at his door and rumors of his antics at Cannes (he actually stayed home), seeks psychiatric help and is sent to the countryside with his friend, the actress Carole Bouquet portraying herself. Blanc and Bouquet solve the mystery of his split personality, but then the faux Blanc offers the real Blanc a deal. Forget a typically neat, American ending. Like a French "The Player," famous film faces show up playing themselves and names are dropped at every turn. But "Grosse Fatigue" goes beyond a cynical look at the compromises of the entertainment business to skewer the concept of fame. Bouquet, radiant and funny, and Blanc, endearingly sad-faced, are the lightning rods for celebrity adoration. From a standing ovation in an emergency room to a "fame healing" in a provincial village, the two weather the worship with placid resignation, Blanc remaining depressed and Bouquet (known best here as the face of Chanel No. 5) smiling graciously. The performances are winning, but Blanc acts better than he directs. The pace is jerky, with successful scenes losing momentum to plodding sequences. Devices are set up and then forgotten (such as documentary-style clips of Blanc's friends commenting on his actions). And at times the plot veers into cliche, adding little to the story (as when Blanc is threatened by three thugs behind bars). "Grosse Fatigue" received best screenplay honors at Cannes and hits home more directly with a French audience that immediately recognizes all the celebrities and the in-jokes. But film fans and the patient will be rewarded if they bear with Blanc's directing and savor the message. There's even a critique of American action movies by film legend Philippe Noiret. After shouting a few expletives and mimicking gunplay, he predicts the fate of the French film industry: "We'll all be mice in their amusement parks." GROSSE FATIGUE (R) —Sexual situations and profanity. In French with subtitles.
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