We saw, on August 15, in Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, “Papamobile”, the cursed comedy of Kad Merad almost invisible in theaters

Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, this August 15. It’s hot, the sun shines, the terraces of the cafes surrounding the lake are full. The road that leads to the casino has even been partially crossed out to preserve the tranquents of this thermal city. In the distance, we hear the speaker of the racetrack screaming the names of the horses. It’s racing day and fireworks will even be fired at night. In short, nobody knows that in the cinema of the Casino Joa, at 4 p.m., a cursed film will be screened: “Papamobile”

Curious story than that of the film. His sudden notoriety was born from an article in the “Duck chained” which sought to understand why a comedy with the very popular actor Kad Merad (“Welcome to the CHTIS”), was only entitled to a so -called technical outing. A complicated assembly, a producer who no longer believes in the project and a distributor who wants to spend as little money as possible … and the second film by Sylvain Estibal, which had however obtained the César of the first film for “Le Pochon de Gaza”, to be almost invisible the week of its release on August 13. Only seven rooms in France project it this week, scattered throughout the territory. The closest to Paris (but three hours away all the same) is just in Bagnoles -de -l’Orne … For the distributor -here The Jkersrs -, even if the costs are limited, a technical outing is always lost money.

Cinéphilia is not just to see films is to love all the forms of cinema, pure and unique, finding rare films, unpublished versions, irrationally follow the career of a director or an actor (and even sometimes of a leader operator, editor’s note). It turns out that the author of these lines really likes Kad Merad, his way of interpreting with generosity and humanity with big hearts. And if for even his producer Jean Bréhat, “papamobile” would be a comedy “failed” and “not funny”, it is necessary – to judge him and not speak in the void – see the film at all costs, and on the biggest screen possible. Even August 15, even in the heat wave.

Eight spectators Wednesday, two Thursday

Back to Bagnoles-de-l’Orne. Outside the casino, an concern embraces us. Only two films are displayed: “Dracula” by Luc Besson and “Les Bad Guys 2” by Pierre Perifel. No trace of “papamobile” however announced on the official program at 4:10 pm. Do not pretend, nearby, the ducks of the lake are drunk while mini-golf lovers count the Bogeys. On time, we enter the Casino-Restaurant-Cinema Joa. In front of the entrance, the slot machines, on the left, the cinema classified art-et-Essai and having 346 red armchairs.

At the counter, Michel, who is also the programmer. Amused by our presence, he easily confides in his choice to show the famous “papamobile”. “We are on vacation and I try to choose films for everyone. There were few French comedies that tried me and this film looked funny, especially with Kad Merad, he explains to us. I called the distributor who told me that the film would have no promotion, nothing. But I still wanted to take it for fifteen days. He has just received the poster – which he bought on his budget – and has not yet had time to put it.

I’m here for Kad Merad, with him we are sure we’re going to laugh

Marie-Annick

On Thursday, a journalist called him following the controversy but the film does not make a recipe, he regrets. Eight curious people came on Wednesday (the film only benefits from one session per day), only two Thursday. This Friday, in addition to your servant, Marie-Annick made the trip of Perrou, twenty minutes away. “I am happy because I have just earned thirty euros in roulette,” confides the film buff, born the same day as Johnny Hallyday and who played the chromatic harmonica on the set of the game “Les 12 coup de Midi” by Jean -Luc Reichmann in 2011 – it is she who tells us. Well informed, she knows that the film is not much distributed, which saddens and amuses it at the same time. “I am here for Kad Merad, with him we are sure that we are going to laugh.” We meet at the exit. After a few trailers, a third person joins us, but this mystery spectator will have evaporated before the final credits.

A lack of crying

The black is done. The film begins… at the Vatican. In voice-over, a Swiss guard asks us to believe in the story that he will tell us … Habemus Papam. A new pope has just been elected. He is French, has the features of Kad Merad (who put his wages in a shareholder so that the film can see the day, editor’s note). He is offered a “papamobile” with gadgets worthy of James Bond (or rather “oss 117”).

Three corrupt cardinals advise him while finances are empty. Her first official trip to Mexico will be financed by the head of a drug cartel (prunes filled with cocaine) which intends to obtain a return on investment … and when the Vatican changes the program of papal visits, she decides to take action and kidnap her holiness … or rather her look -alike. So much for the film’s pitch, much more faithful than that given to the press. For forty minutes, when the plot is located in Ciudad Juarez – the most dangerous city in the world – the film is roughly the road, even if the lack of means is already glaring during the action scenes. The humor of the film is never vulgar and is essentially based on the lag of dialogues and situations, a bit like in the cinema of the Palestinian Elia Suleiman. The poorly matched couple formed by the pope (or rather his double) and the commander played by Myriam Tekaïa (also co-series) is endearing but the film does not take time to build the relationship.

The film derails on his return to the Italian boot. The story gets carried away, the scenes are linked without coherence and the misunderstanding which could have arisen from the presence of two popes – the true and its double – becomes more and more incomprehensible. The spectator is a bit like Marguerite (the crocodile of the film so named in tribute to Duras, editor’s note), he remains hungry and the visual effects really prick his eyes in the last sequences …

Soon on Amazon Prime and OCS

“Papamobile” is not the “worst film of creation”, or even the worst film of the summer. Sincere, he sometimes makes you smile by his uninhibited (or rather decalotted) criticism of the Vatican institution – the foot washing scene, the nuns that have fun of the influence games within the Curie, the launch of a cryptocurrency entitled Le Vaticancoin … for Sylvain Estibal which published a right of response following the article of the “Chained Duck”, the main reason for the artistic failure Budget promises not held by its producer – 1.2 million euros instead of the 2.9 announced. We know the adage: filming is criticism of the scenario, the assembly that of the shooting. Four editors are thus credited in the credits, so that one suspects that there is a lack of scenes to bring binding to the third act. Almost absent from the French rooms, the film will soon be released on Amazon Prime and OCS and its rights have already been bought in Germany and Belgium at the last Cannes film market. He will be seen.

“Papamobile” becomes cult? Not sure … The last word on the film is left to Marie-Annick, who kindly waited to us: “It was not terrible, right? ». The spectator is often right. Michel, he took advantage of the session to put the poster in the entrance to the cinema, hoping that it will attract other curious (or crazy) like me. But let’s be sincere, whatever the quality of the film: this trip to Bagnoles-de-l’Orne will remain in my memory, as the day I discovered “Godzilla Minus One” in Tokyo, in 4DX but without subtitles. Cinephilia is not just to see films is also to live the collective experience of a projection. Even for two, even on August 15.