Adaptations of French comics to the cinema do not have an easy life… The criticism of the press is divided or quite bad and the criticism of the spectators is murderous, especially from the absolute fans of the sagas. So, when we talk about adapting the comic strip Les vieux fourneaux, tempers heat up and worries rise… Verdict: once again, we will have to wait to (re)see a high-quality adaptation.
Respect for the original work
It is essential to put your finger on one point: this adaptation of the Old Furnaces is not bad. A poor quality adaptation is defined by a non-respect of the original work which can be characterized by characters too different from the basic work (Boulard in Les Profs for example, played by Kev Adams and very unconvincing) or a scenario that completely misses the original work (example of Petit Spirou which totally lost the spirit of the comic strip). In short, there are many reasons not to appreciate a film adaptation and non-respect of the basic work is a good one. There is nothing more disappointing than seeing a beloved work that is flouted by a clumsy director and a screenwriter who does not even seem to have read the work in question. But for Les Vieux Fourneaux, the adaptation is rather (or even very) faithful to the story of volume 1.
Pierrot, Mimile and Antoine have always been friends. When the latter's wife dies, the three friends recall old memories and take the opportunity to meet again after their paths have separated. But Antoine finds a letter from his late wife in his old boxes. She asks him to forgive her after she has an affair with her boss at the time. Mad with rage, Antoine goes in search of him to kill him 50 years after the fact. He will be closely followed by Pierrot, Mimile but also Sophie the granddaughter of Antoine who will try somehow to understand the history of his family.Les Vieux Fourneaux is the story of a hunt for memories but especially a hunt for reality for the character of Sophie, who will understand that the 3 friends are also former dirty kids.
The scenario is therefore the same or almost the same as that of the first volume of the eponymous comic! Everything is perfect at this level, even too perfect, so much so that we find dialogues copied verbatim in the film. The respect for the work is there but should we not exaggerate too much? A comic book and a film are two very different media and it is impossible to do the same work (on the dialogues in particular) and this is felt in the atmosphere of the film. While the comic has a very satirical and very "black humor" aspect, the film is not really up to the task and offers a more uninhibited atmosphere, which sticks more to the big screen. But what is certain is that the comic book is very well respected and that fans will find the best aspects of the work of Wilfried Lupano and Paul Cauuet.
Respected work but rather failed film
If fans will be happy to see the 3 grandpa on the big screen, moviegoers and other attentive to the smallest detail will be much less. There is absolutely nothing to say about the performance of the main actors who are all very good in their respective roles (very special mention to Pierre Richard who plays an absolutely hilarious former trade unionist) although one wonders what Eddy Mitchell is doing there. He is not bad in his role but we feel it elsewhere. Maybe it's his character or just he's not interested, we'll probably never know. We must also talk about Alice Pol (already seen in other comedies like Superchondriaque or Raid Dingue…) who knows how to play with his emotions and thus propose a character as convincing as endearing.
If the problem does not come from the actors, it comes here from the realization. A realization that has ideas at times but has trouble taking off. Basic shots that are not really worked and that do not give any meaning to the image. And what a pity! We have on screen monsters of French cinema and the shots remain basic. Field, counter-field… Nothing out of the ordinary and that can intrigue us. The landscapes used are however splendid (whether in the fields of Occitania or in Italy) but bring only few elements to the story.In addition, it is important to note the too many mistakes that make the viewer leave the film. A digital décor of low quality, a flagrant inconsistency concerning outfits that should be soaked or a call to the iPhone missed … Too many details disrupt the smooth running of the film. And again, it's disappointing because the gags follow one another, we laugh, the actors are pretty good but at times, the spectator is taken out of context by these small mistakes …
Is it still possible to miss a fake phone call with an iPhone in 2018? Well Les Vieux Fourneaux will answer you "of course" with an iPhone that displays the home screen during the call …In the end, it is only small details and poor realization that make this adaptation average. It is indisputable that the film respects the basic work but this is not enough. It is also necessary to find ideas for staging.
But don't throw everything away! The film knows how to make people laugh and sometimes even allows itself very good remarks preserved from the comic strip as on the world left by our elders or on the class struggle. These are certainly messages that lend themselves to laugh but that remain in the spirit and will surely make the oldest viewers reflect on the world they leave, on the life they have lived and certainly on the mistakes they may have made in the past.
The old stoves is therefore not a bad film far from it. It is not an affront like some other comic book adaptations and also makes you want to read the basic work. But as you may notice when you turn around in the movie theater, it's for older characters who are looking for a simple movie with no real headaches. It is a funny comedy but unfortunately stops there and has no real identity. If you want a good comedy currently in theaters, we recommend Le Monde est à Toi which remains the pearl of summer. Thus, it is an additional (slight) disappointment for adaptations of French-language comics…
