La Cage aux folles

The film benefits from a strong cast and, naturally, from a very famous theatrical source. However, I feel that the film has somewhat aged, and its weakness lies in that it parasites off the themes of homosexuality and transvestism, where the actors overact, grimace, and babble exactly according to the most foolish social prejudices. This might be tolerable in theater, but the film screen demands a bit more restrained acting. My rating is understandably influenced by my knowledge of the theatrical source; I saw this play and enjoyed it more on stage. Overall impression: 65%. (12/02/2008)

Out of respect for French comedies, I decided to give La Cage aux Folles a try. The plot surprised me quite a bit in the first few minutes. I can only imagine how groundbreaking this must have been back in the day; nowadays, it doesn't raise many eyebrows. It's a shame Michel Galabru, the reason I watched the film, wasn't featured more. Whenever he was on screen, you could feel that classic French comedic flair. The last half hour was phenomenal, though. Up until then, it felt a bit weaker compared to other French comedies. Still, the Saint-Tropez setting was a delight and often reminded me of the Gendarme series. (02/09/2022)

Watching the successful American remake, The Birdcage, I had a lot more fun. Probably because I watched it before La Cage aux Folles, so I didn't know what I was getting into, and also Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and Gene Hackman absolutely thrilled me with the approaches to their roles. This is not to throw dirt on the performances of Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Serrault and Michel Galabru. All three tried their best and played very well. (65%) (22/12/2022)