NOUS IRONS TOUS AU PARADIS (WE WILL ALL GO TO PARADISE)

France, 1977, 112 minutes, Colour.
Jean Rochefort, Claude Brasseur, Guy Bedos, Victor Lanoux, Daniele Delorme, Marthe Villalonga.
Directed by Yves Robert.

Nous Irons Tous au Paradis (We Will All Go To Paradise) is a sequel to Pardon Mon Affaire. It has the same stars in their character roles and is a variation on the themes of the original. However, it seems more contrived and at times the humour is strained, nevertheless it is enjoyable Gallic humour. Themes of comradeship and marital fidelity and infidelity are to the fore. Both films are presented with tongue in cheek.

1. The world wide popularity of the original, style, content, themes, parody? The need for a sequel? Its popularity?

2. The focus of the title, its being presented at beginning and end? Its tone, the focus on innocence?

3. The French world, Paris, the Gallic tone, humour, middle age, male comradeship, marriage, fidelity and infidelity, moral point of view, standards?

4. How well did the film present the friendship of the four men, its sincerity, depth, boyish attitudes, jokes, support? The humorous scenes together e.g. in the rain and the roof of the car, the tennis matches? The sequences of dislike and the repercussions of breaking friendship? Their banding together to support one another's stories? The admirable side of friendship, the way that it can be used?

5. The portrait of contemporary marriages, fidelity and infidelity, jealousy, families? The humour, black humour, of the possessive mother? The parody of the man involved in free love and its getting him down, the responsibilities of the children? Affairs and deception?

6. Were the characters happy in their lives or not? A blend of both? Innocence, hurt. responsibility, guilt?

7. The highlighting of Etienne's story: Etienne in the original and audience familiarity with his character,. his flirtation? A middle-aged French type? The skill of the actor in presenting a character. humour, parody? His work and the satire of the animated Old Testament story, especially with Bernadette as Eve? His reaction to the discovery of the photo of his wife, the parody of his trying to detect the truth - phone calls, hiding behind curtains? The ludicrous aspects of it? His following the man from the gym and the car being bashed to pieces? Tracking the theatre director in the train? His discovery of the truth, his forgiving his wife? The pretended flight and his wife catching him? The irony of his pursuit of Bernadette and his wife's friendship with the actor? The climax at the airport and both asking their friends not to reveal the truth? The portrait of how life, their children, the boarder and the pregnant maid?

8. The personality of the middle-aged Frenchman and his straying eye, the temptations of middle age?

9. Bouley and his jovial personality, his roving eye e.g. at the tennis club? His wife walking out and the anxiety over the divorce proceedings? His living with Daisy and working with her? A practical joker? Women and their attractiveness to him? The satire of his work in the office with nothing to do? His love for the children and looking after them? The irony of his being thrown out? His attitude towards his wife's new husband and despising him and his youth, effeminate-looking ways, musical skill? Bouley and his facing the truth. avoiding it?

10. The continued story of Daniel? at work, the highlighting of his homosexuality with Simon's visit to help his friend, his loneliness. friendship with the group, the encounter with the woman at the sales shop, the engagement. the introduction of her to his friends, the preparation for the marriage and the pathos of their discussion in the car and its being called off? Daniel and his loneliness?

11. Simon's story - the sequences with his mother and her cruel possessiveness, antagonism towards his girlfriends, her rudeness? The party scene, her collapse and her rebuke of him, the news of her death and his absence? His womanising especially the arrangements with his patients? His anxiety, hypochondria? Simon as doctor, skilful, his being the one that the others could rely on, especially at the end?

12. The buying of the house, the pooling of resources, Daniel and his attempts to get the money, the buying of the house and the celebration, the first night and the enjoyment, the next morning and the planes taking off? The attempts to sell the house? The use of it for enjoyments - especially during strikes?

13. The bond between the men and the inevitability of clashes, especially the fights during the tennis match?

14. The visual humour e.g. the car and the roof not coming up, the comedy of the avoiding of people at the airport at the end?

15. The light touch on human foibles? Wry observation of contemporary living?