Klouk (Bernard Crombey) is a car salesman who has to miss a family holiday to deliver a luxury Chevrolet station wagon to his boss’ wealthy client. He decides to take his friend Philippe (Xavier Saint-Macary) along with him for the ride across the length of France from Lille to the Cote d’Azur. On the way they give a lift to hitchhiker Charles (Etienne Chicot) who also brings along his friend Daniel (Patrick Bouchitey). A buddy road movie that came together from genuine friendship and developed throughout the months-long script workshop giving the film a casual and naturalistic quality that pre-dates Richard Linklater’s similar approaches by some decade, Fill ‘Er Up with Super is one of many touching road movie comedies about youth in a line of classics. A meditation on friendship and masculinity, it was voted one of the greatest of all French films by Time Out Paris which described it as a precious secret, one which could be likened to a documentary, yet in its more surreal moments retains a freshness larger than life.

For thoughts on Fill ‘Er Up with Super, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Fill ‘Er Up with Super comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of Radiance Films sourced from a 2K restoration and color grade conducted by Gaumont in 2018 with additional color correction performed by Radiance Films in 2022. This film has been highly anticipated by a certain contingent of cinephiles for years, and this release is worth the wait. The new transfer showcases a natural grain structure that preserves the occasionally gritty, filmic look of the picture which offers up distinct details in the car interiors and any location where the characters stop for a spell.

The new color correction from Radiance allows the film to look pretty terrific with natural hues shining through without a strong push towards yellow. The contrast of the picture holds firm, even in the most stylistically ambitious shots. Black levels hold up well with some admirable depth to the image. A handful of shots contain a bit of softness, but these moments are fleeting at worst. Some small specks of damage can still be found, but it is obvious the initial restoration cleaned up this film to a nice approximation of its original glory. Radiance Films has delivered one of their best transfers yet with this one.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with an LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original French (with optional English subtitles) that was restored by Radiance Films in 2022. The musical moments come through in a stable manner when interacting with the competing sounds. The film is very dialogue heavy with voices always delineated clearly for a problem-free listening experience. Conversations never get overwhelmed by the sound effects or the score. The film is not a thrill-ride, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do really well. Everything comes through accurately with pleasing fidelity and next to nothing in the way of age-related wear and tear.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the Radiance Films Blu-Ray of Fill ‘Er Up with Super includes a booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Murielle Joudet, an archival article by Evelyne Caron-Lowins, an extract from an interview with director Alain Cavalier and restoration notes. These all provide a great analysis of the film through an exploration of its themes, the talent involved and more. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Bernard Crombey: A 28-minute interview with the actor and producer from 2019 in which he discusses meeting director Alain Cavalier and the rest of the creative team, his early interest and entry into the film industry, his career at large, the valuable lessons he learned from this film on how to survive in this business, his relationship with his co-stars in the years following the film, the reception of the film and more.

My Wife Lives In Fear: A five-minute short documentary by Cavalier featuring Etienne Chicot, Bernard Crombey and Patrick Bouchitey in which they discuss death and other mortal concerns.

It’s A Full House: Another six-minute documentary by Cavalier featuring Bernard Crombey in which he is seen shaving before a performance and discussing the character he is playing.

The King Of The Bottle: A nine-minute documentary by Cavalier featuring an intimate conversation with Patrick Bouchitey about life and his animals.

Charlotte Garson: A new 28-minute featurette with the Deputy Editor of Cahiers du Cinéma in which she discusses the things that makes this film so special, the melancholy nature of the comedy, the career of Alain Cavalier, the disillusionment in the traditional film form which led to this film, the thematic explorations throughout, the legacy of the film and more.

Final Thoughts

Fill ‘Er Up with Super is a great hang-out movie which both indulges in and subverts many of the tropes that spring forth when you get a bunch of guys together on a road trip. The hilarity and frustration that comes from immersing yourself in that energy is translated really well throughout this narrative. There is an overall thesis, but the character work is strong enough that the movie still works even if you are not looking to engage with it on a deeper level. The combination of direction and performance makes this a very rewarding experience. Radiance Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a grand A/V presentation and some fun special features. Those who appreciate the art of the road movie should definitely give this one a shot. Recommended

Fill ‘Er Up with Super is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Radiance Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.