La totale! (1991)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Claude Zidi

Writers:

Didier Kaminka (writer)
Simon Michaël (writer)

Release Date:

18 December 1991 (France)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

French Secret Service | Secret Service | Father Son Relationship | Car Salesman | Caper

Cast

Thierry Lhermitte	...	François Voisin
Miou-Miou	...	Hélène Voisin
Eddy Mitchell	...	Albert Grelleau
Michel Boujenah	...	Simon / Marcel
Jean Benguigui	...	Sarkis - un trafiquant d'armes
Annick Alane	...	Pascaline
Claudine Wilde	...	Vanessa - une call-girl (as Claudy Wilde)
François Hadji-Lazaro	...	Braquet - le chef des services secrets
Yan Epstein	...	Izmir
Sagamore Stévenin	...	Julien Voisin
Jean-Guillaume Le Dantec	...	Paul
Pierre Pellerin	...	Gérard
Alain Stern	...	Philippe
Thierry Liagre	...	Vincent
Paulina Zidi	...	Paulina Voisin

Also Known As:

The Jackpot!

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Evry, Essonne, France

Company:

Film Par Film

Movie Connections:

Remade as True Lies (1994)

Watch Ture Lies and forget this

First I have seen True Lies, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis, which I liked a lot. Then, reading some Magazine critiques, I have discovered that it was actually a remake of the French "La Totale!", and how good that one was. Because the usual situation is the following: you see a European (mostly French) movie with a great idea, original pictures and superb acting with not so known but excellent actors, then Hollywood makes a disappointing copy of it with big money and low-quality actors.

Well, the original version was way under my expectations - average actors, low budget. Also, as I knew the story from before, the originality of the idea did not work here. So it was just an average French movie for me, with an entertainment level comparable to a good episode of the Knight Rider series. I believe that an action movie first of all needs budget for the big explosions, fights, car racing, which obviously was missing in the French studio. Miou-Miou, playing Helene, the wife, makes such an excellent interpretation of the stupid narrow minded wife. However, Thierry Lhermitte, as the super action hero secret agent, was miserable, no big muscles, no radiation of power, no big karate fights; and others perform even worse.

So funnily, the remake, True Lies is classes better and is an excellent action movie. Probably you should forget about watching La Totale! after seeing True Lies - it can be then a major disappointment for you too, as it was for me. 5/10