2K Restoration by Gaumont! In Les Compères, filmmaker Francis Veber (writer of La Cage aux Folles) ingeniously blends elements of buddy movies, thrillers and teen comedy into an endearing French screwball classic. The comic chemistry of Pierre Richard (The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe) and Gérard Depardieu (Camille Claudel, Green Card), introduced in Veber’s La Chèvre, here energizes this antic adventure with infectious charisma and sincerity. When her 16-year-old son runs away from their Paris home, Christine (Anny Duperey, You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet) sidesteps her stubborn husband and separately convinces two former lovers that they are each the boy’s father. Duped into a sense of responsibility for a son they never knew, brawling newspaperman Lucas (Depardieu) and fragile neurotic Pignon (Richard) follow the boy’s trail to Nice and proceed to pack decades’ worth of dubious parenting into a few manic days battling Riviera bikers, casino racketeers and most often each other. Depardieu and Richard’s expert timing and interplay allows this tender farce to unfold with a breakneck pace that belies the honest sentiment at its heart. Les Compères was remade in Hollywood as Fathers’ Day, starring Robin Williams and Billy Crystal.

For thoughts on Les Compères, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/7HBwkgADakk?t=1146]

Video Quality

Les Compères comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio from a new 2K restoration by Gaumont that holds up very well. Colors are saturated in a visually resplendent way with a vibrant color palette. Skin tones are nice and natural with discrete facial details easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up firmly with not much in the way of crush, and highlights remain strong. The narrative takes our characters to various environments which present a great amount of depth and detail. The facets on display within the production design and costumes are lovely. Print damage does not prove to be an issue, and clarity and detail never fails to shine through. Digital noise and other anomalies do not present as a major issue here. This new presentation does a fine job of bringing this one to life.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French with optional English subtitles. The dialogue and the comedic exchanges always come through crisp and clear without being overshadowed by competing elements. The track maintains a good balance so that everything maintains its distinct sonic quality. Environmental sounds create a fully realized world which helps make the narrative feel more alive. The score from Vladimir Cosma comes through with admirable fidelity. There does not appear to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Kino Classics has delivered a fine audio presentation.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson provide a fine commentary in which they once again discuss the collaborations of this creative team, the inspirations from the past used in the performances, the arc of the narrative, how this version compares to the American remake, the background of the ensemble, shooting locations and much more that makes for a good listen.

Trailers: The two-minute trailer for Les Compères is provided here. There are also trailers provided for La Chèvre and A Pain In The Ass (L’emmerdeur).

Final Thoughts

Les Compères is another fine pairing of the hilarious Pierre Richard and Gérard Depardieu. This film does not quite reach the delirious heights of La Chèvre, but their dynamic is just as funny as ever. Where the film slows down on over-the-top slapstick, it makes up for in more heartfelt moments that are handled equally as well. Kino Classics has provided a Blu-Ray with a top notch A/V presentation and a fine commentary track. Anytime these two performers are paired together, you will have our money. Recommended

Les Compères 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: Kino Classics 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.