Review of Micmacs (2009) by Benjamin F — 13 Jan 2011

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's established himself as quite the prolific filmmaker by now. Most are probably familiar with him for his most mainstream film, Amelie, or his least weird high-profile release, A Very Long Engagement. Audrey Tautou playing the lead in both undoubtedly doesn't hurt. But in addition to those, Jeunet's also known for making some incredibly strange and funny movies - particularly memorably in the past, Delicatessen and City of Lost Children. Now, to join the ranks of those strange films, we have Micmacs.

Led by Dany Boon and Julie Ferrier, the film's large ensemble cast - pretty much all of which I was previously unfamiliar with - is spot-on throughout the entire production. Dany Boon's character, Bazil, has his life ruined by not one, but two different weapons manufacturers. Teaming up with an eccentric crew of fellow homeless people with exceptional talents, living in their own little commune filled with collected junk repurposed for a very imaginative way of recycled living, he sets out to destroy these companies - in particular, the heads of these companies.

The film, as it plays out, is largely a live-action cartoon. There's enough sexual content and violence to ultimately get an R-rating here in America, but the film's spirit is anything but. It's lighthearted, playful, and bent on exacting social justice against worthy targets for society in general - those who've built decadent lives on war and terrorism profiteering. The experience is never too dark, but it makes its point very clear. Also notably, Micmacs is one of the few films in recent decades that really pulls off physical comedy and makes it work - most that try end up being terrible. Micmacs pulls no punches with its imagination or humor.

The cinematography and visual imagination in general are nothing short of spectacular - exactly as you'd expect of a Jeunet film. And the soundtrack works at all points as well, often stylistically hearkening back to the musical score style of the black and white days. Despite its modern setting - blatantly including YouTube at one point - the film spends a lot of time playing with retro visual aesthetics in a very enjoyable way.

The characters are ultimately all one to two-dimensional at best, and rather than fully exploring its anti-weapons manufacturing complex theme, the film dedicates most of its time to wacky physical antics. Still, despite these slight shortcomings, Micmacs succeeds beautifully in everything it sets out to be. It's not Jeunet's most substantive film, but it's very energetic, warm, goofy, and funny. Definitely worth your time.