LES CLEFS DE BAGNOLE/ CAR KEYS

France, 2003, 86 minutes, Colour.
Laurent Baffie, Daniel Russo.
Directed by Laurent Baffie.

In a way, you have to grit your teeth as you begin to watch this Gallic comedy. You know the ending. The car keys are lost and the star/director reveals where he will find them. With any suspense out of the way, we begin to wonder what the film could be all about. The answer is that it is all about making a film about pitching a film about a man who loses his car keys. Needless to say, the many producers who appear at the start of the film, many of them very well-known, like Claude Berri and Alain Sarde, turn the project down. He also asks most of the principal French actors, from Daniel Auteuil down (so to speak) and they really turn him down. With his friend, Daniel, he begins the film and we hope that it is going to be interesting and funny.

In a way, it is, but not nearly as interesting or funny as Laurent seems to think or hope it is.

What he does is show us how to make a film. He explains a great deal about technique and illustrates it – and often this is quite amusing. At one stage, he does a brainstorming session in a café and lists all the ingredients that would make it commercial. This is quite a list an includes animal and children, sex and a bank robbery, a helicopter rescue. You name it. Gerard Depardieu’s name was not on the list but he turns up anyway, selling cheese.

By now, you know whether you have the patience to sit through the whole film, whether you are on the wavelength of the comedy or whether it might be more entertaining watching something else.

1. The impact of the film? French audience knowledge of the TV personality of the star and director? Non-French? audiences having to accept him without any background? How well did this work?

2. The film as a film about film-making? A critic said it was more a publicity stunt than a narrative film – how valid is this criticism?

3. How entertaining, comic, serious, interesting in terms of the details and techniques of film-making?

4. The title, the pitch about a film of a man who loses his car keys – and the revelation at the beginning that they were in his other pocket? The reaction of the range of directors (famous directors) turning down the pitch? Baffie’s response to their negative attitudes, his continued optimism, making his pitch?

5. The range of actors (many of them very famous) who were in on the joke and did scenes turning him down? The fact that Gerard Depardieu actually acted in the film, even though it was a joke? The validation of his approach by this collaboration of stars and directors?

6. His friend Daniel, his comic style, presence, the fall guy? His collaborating in the film? His comic touches – and his crass touches, especially language, attitude towards women and the sex scenes?

7. The sequences of looking for the keys, in the house, going out into the streets, retracing their steps, the restaurant, the children who promised to find the keys, wanting the trip to the playground? The encounter with the rich woman, the drink of coffee, working in her vineyard, the hard work, the extra jobs, the overseer and his shotgun? The irony of Laurent writing in a helicopter rescue? The buying of the dog, the discussions with the seller, the testing out of the dog, the dog able to get car keys – and the irony of his stealing other people’s car keys?

8. The interruptions to the film, the discussions between Laurent and Daniel about film-making, about jump-cuts, about editing? About time, fast-forwarding, flashbacks – the relationship, following the girl, the sex scene and the possibility of adding to it?

9. Running out of money, the decision to rob the bank, the arrival at the bank, the manager, discussing the script, the raid and its being gentlemanly, the possibility of its being like a Tarantino film? The manager and his reaction? The manager avoiding the bloodbath?

10. The poster, the cruise, happiness, the ship, landing on the ship via the balloon, the cruise, the tourist paradise?

11. The old woman, the discussion about the hermit, going to the mountains, seeing the guru, the solutions, the seriousness and the comedy about gurus?

12. Finally finding the key?

13. The various incidental characters, especially Gerard Depardieu as the cheese shop seller? The discussions with the public, the captions about what was happening, the opinions of the public about issues in the film?

14. The use of animation and its style to move on the plot, illustrate the characters, put them into farcical situations?

15. The references and signposts to various classics of French film-making?