The genius of comedy, Francis Veber, is honored in the documentary Just a focus. Directed by Sébastien Labadie, French producer and director, in partnership with Moneypenny Production, this film inaugurates a collection of unpublished documentaries broadcast on OCS Géant.
A new documentary to discover or rediscover Francis Veber
Just a focus is a fascinating portrait in which Francis Veber, himself, returns with great humility on his artistic journey, from his beginnings as a screenwriter, to his enormous success with Le dîner de cons, through his American adventure.Filmed with elegance, the filmmaker reacts to archive images and film excerpts that are projected to him.
The documentary of about fifty minutes, allows to discover or rediscover Francis Veber, through the films that have marked his career. Initially a screenwriter, he met with great success with L'Emmerdeur, Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire, Le Professionnel, and Le Magnifique.
The documentary is an opportunity for Francis Veber to rediscover some of his films, and to deliver crisp anecdotes. He recalls, in particular, having described Mireille Darc's dress in Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire : "She has a low-cut dress bordering on correctional." and to add: "[She] had a very nice kidney fall, it must be said. "
In 1976, Francis Veber directed his first film Le Jouet. Poorly received by critics, the film was a failure. The documentary is an opportunity for the director to give his opinion and his feelings on this failure.
He created, against his will, an unforgettable duo: Pierre Richard and Gérard Depardieu, during the production of La Chèvre in 1981. The pair worked so well that it appeared in Les compères (1983) and Les fugitifs (1986).
Did you know that Depardieu was originally supposed to play the role of Pierre Brochant in Le dîner de cons ? And it is because Jacques Villeret could not play in The Goat, that he had the role of François Pignon!
Le dîner de cons (1998), which earned Francis Veber the César for Best Original Screenplay, was also the director's best film at the box office with 9,247,509 admissions.
This non-exhaustive documentary, mixing interviews and archive footage, traces the brilliant career of comedy genius Francis Veber.
Francis Veber: a comic genius
Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1937, Francis Veber comes from a family of scholars. He developed a passion for writing and quickly moved from journalism to writing sketches, plays, short stories and novels. The cinema attracted him very quickly. Francis Veber worked for a long time as a screenwriter and dialoguist before embarking on directing.
He notably wrote the screenplays for Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire (1972) worn by Pierre Richard, L' Emmerdeur (1973) which staged the splendid duo: Lino Ventura and Jacques Brel, and Le Magnifique (1973), played by Belmondo. Francis Veber also worked on the adaptation of La Cage aux folles (1978) after Jean Poiret, with Michel Serrault and Ugo Tognazzi in the lead roles.
Veber directed his first film, The Toy, in 1976. He directed his accomplice Pierre Richard, whom he met again in La Chèvre (1981). The opportunity to create the couple Pierre Richard/Gérard Depardieu, which he directed again in Les Compères (1983) and Les Fugitifs (1986). In the late 1980s, he moved to Los Angeles, and directed Three Fugitives, the American remake of The Fugitives.
If The Jaguar, directed in 1996 with Patrick Bruel and Jean Reno in the cast, is less seductive, Le Dîner de cons (1998), adapted from his own play, is a real triumph. After Le Placard, worn by Daniel Auteuil, Francis Veber directed Gérard Depardieu and Jean Reno in 2003 in Tais-toi !.
Since 2005, Francis Veber has returned to the stage of the theater, and mounts his great cinematographic successes. On January 13, 2012, he received a Lumières d'honneur award for his entire career.
Just a clarification: a collection of documentaries available on OCS G
Just a focus is a collection of unpublished documentaries, with the exception of a rerun, entirely dedicated to the big names of French comedy. Francis Veber, Patrice Leconte, Jean-Marie Poiré and Claude Zidi, are in the spotlight throughout the month of February. Sébastien Labadie with Moneypenny Production retrace the careers of these great directors, charismatic representatives of a certain French popular cinema of the 1970s and 80s.
Patrice Leconte – Just a tune-up (2020 / by Sébastien Labadie, 52') on February 13 at 10:20 pm
Jean-Marie Poiré – Just a tune-up (2020 / by Sébastien Labadie, 52') on February 20 at 10:20 pm
Claude Zidi – Just a focus (2019 / de S. Labadie and Y. Charrin, 52') on February 27 at 10:05 p.m. (rebroadcast)
