Directed by: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Starring: Dany Boon, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Yolande Moreau, Dominique Pinon
Rating: R

Dany Boon stars in Micmacs. (Courtesy photo)

It does not take a Hollywood insider to see that 2010 has been a dreary year for movies thus far. After seeing a handful of recent films that didn’t even merit reviews—Splice, Prince of Persia, and easily the best of the three, Macgruber—I finally searched out a lovely antidote. Micmacs is the less-than-inspiring name of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest concoction. But don’t be dissuaded by the title. The director behind the gloriously bizarre Delicatessen and the luminous Amelie has fashioned another unique cinematic cabinet of wonders. Micmacs is quintessential Jeunet, filled with oddball characters, obsessive attention to production and design detail, and a much more carefully crafted plot than first appears. It’s probably only mid-level Jeunet, better than the entrancing but somewhat aimless City of Lost Children and Jeunet’s American misfire Alien Resurrection, on par with A Very Long Engagement. The only real issues in Micmacs are a surprisingly unimaginative object of antipathy—weapons manufacturers—and a major case of the cutes.

Renowned French comic actor Dany Boon (The Valet) plays Bazil, a hapless spiritual descendant of Chaplin and Keaton. Bazil’s father died from a landmine, and Bazil himself has a bullet lodged just deep enough in his brain that he could go any minute. Bazil is invited by old ex-con Placard (Jean-Pierre Marielle) to join a strange “family” that resides in a junkyard. Tambouille (Yolande Moreau) is the dotty mother of the group of salvagers, presiding over fireplug Fracasse (the always delightful Dominique Pinon), cliché-spouting Remington (Omar Sy), human calculator Calculette (Marie-Julie Baup), tiny, super-strong inventor Petit Pierre (Michel Cremades), and contortionist La Mome Caoutchouc (Julie Ferrier). Bazil recruits this odd collection to take vengeance on the two weapons manufacturers responsible for the bomb and the bullet (played with gleeful callowness by Andre Dussollier and Nicolas Marie).

Jeunet loves to distract the viewer from his story (co-written with longtime collaborator Guillaume Laurant) by drawing us into the whimsy of his visuals and observations. But Micmacs is, in fact, an expertly plotted revenge comedy. It starts out in true Jeunet fashion, documenting Bazil’s grim childhood with sympathetic good humor. Next comes his post-shooting days living on the streets—this is nearly pure silent comedy, and Boon has the sweetness and physicality to pull it off. The second half of the movie, when the team puts over a succession of cons on the two villains, is when Jeunet really hits his stride. On occasion he strays too far from reality—like when he shoots Fracasse and Bazil out of a homemade cannon. But Micmacs only lulls when Jeunet allows his characters too much leeway to mug and make silly noises. A little goes a long way, and nearly everyone ends up going too far. For some viewers, this will be enough to drive them away.

One thing to be said about the cast is that all seem to be having a grand time. It’s hard to single out any one performer, since they truly work as a gang. Boon is certainly a treat, if too goofy at times. And Jeunet vet Pinon never fails to entertain. I especially enjoyed Marie-Julie Baup and Michel Cremades among the gang. All the others go too far overboard.

If you’ve never seen a Jeunet film before, Micmacs is a great introduction. You’ll certainly know whether you want to see more. If you have seen his movies before and not enjoyed them, chances are Micmacs would be your least favorite of all. In spite of its potentially heavy-handed subject matter, Micmacs is too light to make any kind of genuine statement about war profiteering. Don’t search for meaning, just sit back and enjoy the inventive visuals and clever ruses. Jeunet’s worlds may be a bit precious and cutesy, but they’re wonderful places to visit.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, Calif. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard readers for many years.