Musée haut, musée bas (2008)

Director:

Jean-Michel Ribes

Writer:

Jean-Michel Ribes (writer)

Release Date:

19 November 2008 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Modern Art | Nature Run Amok | Plant | Art Museum | Museum Director

Cast

Simon Abkarian	...	Gilles Paulin
Victoria Abril	...	Clara
Pierre Arditi	...	Henri Province
Alfredo Arias	...	Sud Américain Perdeli
John Arnold	...	Un gardien Karl Paulin
Sophie Artur	...	Sabine Le Gréco
Hélène Babu	...	La vierge de Lourdes
Josiane Balasko	...	La mère en Chanel
Jean-Damien Barbin	...	Sulki
Sebastian Barrio	...	Un gardien
Stéphanie Bataille	...	L'hôtesse Corinne
Emeline Bayart	...	Gisèle Paulin
Avril Benard	...	Jennifer
Dominique Besnehard	...	Un visiteur
Michel Blanc	...	Mosk - le conservateur
Evelyne Bouix	...	Nina Paulin
Urbain Cancelier	...	Bernard
Isabelle Carré	...	Carole Province
Eve Chems de Brouwer	...	Une Anglaise
Loïc Corbery	...	Luc
Eva Darlan	...	La guide 'Family Art'
Franck de la Personne	...	Le conservateur Rochebouet
Louis-Do de Lencquesaing	...	Jocelyn Paulin
François-Xavier Demaison	...	Le responsable accueil
André Dussollier	...	Le ministre
Julie Ferrier	...	La guide perspective
Grégory Gadebois	...	Georges Paulin
Xavier Gallais	...	Sulku
Guillaume Gallienne	...	Max Perdelli
Laurent Gamelon	...	Lionel
Michèle Garcia
Raphaëline Goupilleau
Annie Grégorio	...	Fernande
Samir Guesmi	...	Un gardien musée Malraux
Patrick Haudecoeur	...	Le guide Paul Gauguin
Christian Hecq	...	Un gardien musée Malraux
Saïda Jawad	...	La maîtresse
Gérard Jugnot	...	Roland Province
Philippe Khorsand	...	Frilon - l'administrateur
Valérie Lemercier	...	Valérie
Micha Lescot	...	José
Pierre Lescure	...	Christian
Patrick Ligardes	...	Le mari de Clara
Fabrice Luchini	...	Un gardien musée Malraux
Alexis Maah	...	Le jeune africain
Valérie Mairesse	...	Thérèse
Marilu Marini	...	Giovanna Perdelli
Tonie Marshall	...	Laurence
Milan Mauger	...	Jules Bagnole
Yolande Moreau	...	Madame Stenthels - arts africains
François Morel	...	Hervé Parking
Chantal Neuwirth	...	Anne
Christian Pereira	...	Un gardien musée André Malraux
Aurélia Petit	...	La guide Karl Paulin
Yves Pignot	...	Le caissier du grand hall
Dominique Pinon	...	Simon
Micheline Presle	...	Liliane
Daniel Prévost	...	Maurice Bagnole
Farida Rahouadj	...	Rosette
Alexis Rault	...	Invité vernissage Perdelli
Alexie Ribes	...	Camille
Jean-Michel Ribes	...	Un visiteur
Patrick Robine
Muriel Robin	...	La dame Kandinsky
Samuel Theis	...	Le critique Paulin (as Samuel Théis)

Also Known As:

A Day at the Museum (Europe: English title) (festival title)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | France:U

Company:

Epithète Films

A Bundle of Museum-context Hilarity!!

A French film has not had me laughing this much in a long time. What a joy from hysterical beginning to hysterical end! In a long life of films, this is actually the only film I think I have ever seen twice in one week. But then I am dead center of the target audience. I must mention that I believe this film will be understood and applauded by a very specific audience- that of museum goers with an understanding of art history. When I noticed with bafflement that the IMDb average rating was 5, I then saw that the majority of low rating voters- were young men, and my guess is that they and other low-rating voters are not in the specific audience above.

The film makes fun of and with - virtually every type of museum goer, employee, and artist : uncultured 'hicks',faux-sophisticated art patrons,nationalistic art goers,fatuous conceptual artists,neglected artists, snobby curators, obsessive-compulsive curators, Earth Mother curators, vacuous politicians, exploited Third world artists, overtaxed guards, overly dramatic guides, and all manner of self-important types. (Thus the French film title, "Museum High,Museum Low" ) though the American title, "A Day at the Museum" well chosen as well.Throughout it are sprinkled very specific in-jokes that will give added giggles to art historians, .i.e. when the car-seeker finally finds the parking area he recognizes, it is called Velasquez, and when he jubilantly comes upon the sign/poster portrait of Velasquez, one sees in the background two diminutive figures from Velasquez's famous painting of the Spanish Infanta. While unrelated in subject matter, I think this film will appeal to many of those who love Almadovar. Goofy, quirky, colorful. There seem to be included in the cast at least 25 of France's most famous actors and comedians(including two Almadovar regulars.) I can only guess that they were all willing to contribute their (mostly) bit parts because the concept and set were such fun. I bet the director is a very likable guy, and that everyone had a blast making this film .The viewing audience at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts had a blast as well. I can't wait to research and see more from this director.