For generations, two rival French villages, Longueverne and Velrans, have been at war. But this is no ordinary conflict, for the on-going hostilities are between two armies of young schoolboys. Their idea of war may be less damaging than that practiced by their elders, but it is prosecuted with just as much spirit and determination. One year, the two armies decide to confiscate the buttons, shoelaces and belts of anyone they capture from the opposing side; victory will go to the army which manages to accumulate the greatest quantity of these spoils. When he is beaten by his father for having lost his buttons, the leader of the Longueverne army, Lebrac, has an idea which will give his side the advantage: next time, he and his brave soldiers will go in battle without their clothes…Read More »
Yves Robert
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Yves Robert – La Guerre des boutons AKA War of the Buttons (1962)
Yves Robert1961-1970ArthouseComedyFrance -
Yves Robert – Le retour du grand blond AKA The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1974)
1971-1980ComedyCrimeFranceYves RobertCambrai, a modest captain in the French secret service, discovers that his superior, Colonel Toulouse, was responsible for the death of his rival Milan. To cover his tracks, Toulouse immediately sends two hit-men to Rio de Janeiro to eliminate François Perrin, the innocent “grand blond” who was instrumental in Toulouse’s scheme to remove Milan. When Perrin miraculously survives, Toulouse changes his strategy. He takes Perrin into his confidence and attempts to convert him into an ace secret agent, thereby discrediting Cambrai and proving that he is innocent of Milan’s death. When his beloved Christine is abducted by Toulouse’s agents, Perrin has no other choice. Indeed, he seems to relish the prospect of becoming a real-life James Bond…Read More »
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Yves Robert – Clérambard (1969)
1961-1970ComedyFranceYves RobertAn aristocrat, short of the readies, has turned his desirable mansion into a textile workshop, where he works with his wife, his son and his mother-in-law. He’s grumpy, stingy and unkind. In the village, the wealthy solicitor wants his ugliest daughter to marry his half-witted young son, so she’ll become a countess. But saint Francis Assisi appears and the count changes overnight; he does not want his family to kill the spiders (your sister, the spider) and he begins to ignore the social conventions: his son will marry “La Langouste” (the lobster), the local hooker who keeps a strong clientele among the billeted troops. Now, the aristocrat, imitating our Lord’s apostles, divests himself of all possessions of the material world and intends to hit the road in a horse-drawn caravan.Read More »
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Yves Robert – La gloire de mon père AKA My Father’s Glory (1990)
Drama1981-1990FranceYves RobertSynopsis:
A young boy’s life in turn-of-the-century France. Marcel, witnesses the success of his teacher father, as well as the success of his arrogant Uncle Jules. Marcel and family spend their summer vacation in a cottage in Provence, and Marcel befriends a local boy who teaches him the secrets of the hills in Provence.Read More » -
Yves Robert – Le Château de ma mère AKA My Mother’s Castle (1990)
1981-1990DramaFranceYves RobertSynopsis:
Every holiday Marcel and his family go to their cottage in the Provence (France). He likes the hills in this region. Before they arrive at the cottage they have to walk about 5 miles. With the co-operation of an ex-pupil of Marcel’s father, who’s a teacher, they only have to walk 1 mile, since they can take a shortcut along a canal, through the backyards of some eccentric people. During one of these holidays he meets Isabelle, a pretty but conceited girl…Read More » -
Yves Robert – Le Grand blond avec une chaussure noire aka The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972)
1971-1980ComedyFranceYves RobertA frothy French farce, The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe is a classic madcap comedy about espionage, surveillance and mistaken identity. When Francois (Pierre Richard), an unsuspecting violinist, is misidentified as a superspy by national intelligence, outrageous antics ensue. As everyone (including Mireille Darc, playing a knock-out henchwoman) falls over each other in their misguided attempts to discover the tall blond man’s secrets, his best friend complicates matters even further when he overhears a salacious recording of Francois with his wife. The whole merry-go-round comes crashing to a halt in one final showdown, pitting spy versus supposed spy with hilarious results. Elegantly filmed and accompanied by a memorable score, The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe is one of the most seminal comedies of the 1970s.Read More »
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Yves Robert – Ni Vu, Ni Connu AKA Neither Seen Nor Recognized (1958)
1951-1960ComedyFranceYves RobertSynopsis
Ni Vu, Ni Connu (Neither Seen Nor Recognized) is built around the talents of rubber-faced Gallic comedian Louis De Funes. Our hero is a poacher in a small provincial village, who always manages to stay one step ahead of the Law. Through a fluke, De Funes finds himself the town’s Leading Citizen when he is falsely arrested on another charge, forcing the village elders to bend over backwards making amends.Blaireau, un braconnier très adroit, ravitaille tout le pays en gibier. Un soir, son ennemi de toujours, le garde champêtre Parju, se fait rosser. Ce dernier, persuadé, à tort, d’être la victime de Blaireau, le fait arrêter. Néanmoins, grâce à un directeur de prison compréhensif et aux attentions de la belle Arabella, son séjour en cellule ne sera pas trop rude. D’autant plus que « l’erreur judiciaire » sera découverte, Parju ridiculisé et le retour de Blaireau au village sera triomphal.Read More »