La soif de l'or (1993)

User Rating:

3.7/10   

Director:

Gérard Oury

Writers:

Christian Clavier (writer)
Marcel Jullian (writer)

Release Date:

31 August 1993 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Du rire plein les poches!

Plot:

Urbain and his grandmother are stingy. They buy gold with all their money, and hide it inside the bricks of a wall at their country house...

Plot Keywords:

Gold

Cast

Christian Clavier	...	Urbain Donnadieu
Tsilla Chelton	...	Mémé Zézette
Catherine Jacob	...	Fleurette
Philippe Khorsand	...	Jacques
Marine Delterme	...	Laurence
Pascal Greggory	...	Jean-Louis Auger
Bernard Haller	...	Le comte Muller
Jacky Nercessian	...	Le représentant
Doud	...	L'abbé Furteaux (as Patrick Le Luherne)
Albert Dray	...	Brig. Flotard
Michel Such	...	Le commissionnaire
Jacques Famery	...	Un acheteur
Dimitri Radochevitch	...	Un acheteur
Carlo Nell	...	Un acheteur
Patrick Massieu	...	L'agriculteur

Also Known As:

The Thirst for Gold

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Spain:13

Company:

Canal+

Clavier and Oury in top form

French comedy about a very greedy millionaire who is trying to smuggle a large amount of goldbars (hence the title 'Lust for Gold') out of France and into tax haven Switzerland, with his mom as his partner in crime but with his ex-wife and her boyfriend in hot pursuit.

One of Oury's better efforts of the latter stage of his career, it has a quite frenetic pace, only matched by Christian Clavier over-the-top interpretation. Loaded with slapstick and some spectacular car crashes this is really very entertaining and is an excellent time-passer, so even if you are not French you will enjoy it.

Gerard Oury was (and probably will remain) France's most successful director with immense popular triumphs as " La Grande Vadrouille," The Brain" and 'Rabbi Jacob' to his name. His later efforts though, left something to be desired but "La Soif de l'Or'" proves to be one of his better ones, especially taking into account he was already 74 years of age when he made this.

Christian Clavier went on to star in super hits "The visitors", the prestigious TV-series "Napoleon", the Asterix & Obelix-series, up until the recent box-office smash (in France anyway)'Les Bronzés 3' and remains one of France's popular (and highest-paid) actors.