Published via Ecency

(source: tmdb.org)

When something is too good to be true, it usually isn’t good. Like so many, the protagonist of Like a Fish Out of Water, 1999 crime comedy written and directed by Hervé Hadmar, didn’t take this lesson seriously before getting into trouble. Désire (played by Michel Muller) is quiet man who lives with his parents and grows tropical fish. The only true joy in his life has lately been correspondence with beautiful woman named Myrtille (played by Monica Bellucci). After long wait two of them should finally meet in person and continue romance in real life. Désire receives unpleasant surprise after learning that Myrtille’s motive wasn’t love but money, and that the whole thing was scheme develop by crime boss DD (played by Tcheky Karyo). DD has devised the plan to extort large amounts of money from vicious gang boss (played by Mehmet Ulosoy) whose only weakness happen to be tropical fish. Désire is needed by the gang for his expertise and he reluctantly agrees to go with the scheme, not knowing that his life will be in danger.

Like a Fish Out of Water looks very much like attempt by French cinema to beat Hollywood in its game even when it involves Tarantinoesque black comedies about criminal schemes going awry. Hadmar tries to bring much cruder humour, while the characters are more bizarre and depraved than those in American films of the same genre. Quality of the humour, however, varies from scene to scene, and the ending is slightly confusing. What helps this film is very good cast, including Tcheky Karyo and Monica Bellucci who have appeared together in Dobermann, crime comedy made in similar style. Composer Alexandre Azaria a.k.a. Replicant adds another layer of ironic atmosphere with its soundtrack which was clearly inspired by John Barry’s work on James Bond films. Hadmar wraps the film in hour and half, thus not allowing audience to become too aware of its flaws, and this is the reason why it could be recommended even to those who aren’t among the biggest fans of French crime comedies.

RATING: 5/10 (++)