O Belo Animal

The sincerest confession of a comedian with nerves of steel and the acrobatic talent to survive all his stunts. You could knock me down with a feather if a tiger jumped at someone else the same way it jumped at Bebel; but he even toyed with the beast, commanded it and it obeyed with no problems. And there’s plenty of scenes like this. Animal is my favorite and the most amusing Belmondo movie. You feel peaceful and chill, although you know that a lot of the scenes had to cost him at least three underwear changes. I don’t get that sort of feeling with the movies nowadays and I probably never will. (11/07/2016)

Though Jean-Paul Belmondo established himself as one of the leading faces of the French New Wave, he gained fame internationally as a portrayer of heroic good guys who bolstered the ideals of intrepid adventurers, while also frequently parodying them. Belmondo’s stellar image was in no small part due to the fact that, following the example of the legends of early cinema, he refused to use stuntmen and performed all of the dangerous scenes himself. The hyperactive romantic action-comedy Animal is a hugely entertaining tribute to the stunt profession and concurrently gives Belmondo space in all of his acting positions, thanks to the iconic dual role of the charmingly pompous stuntman Michel Gaucher and prima donna star Bruno Ferrari. Belmondo suffered several injuries during the shooting of certain stunts, including a tiger bite on his ear, but he also fulfilled a long-held dream and stood on the wing of a plane in flight. His engaging stunt partner was played by American star Raquel Welch, and several other period film personalities of the day, including director Claude Chabrol, appeared in behind-the-scenes supporting roles. (14/03/2021)

- : Tu tu tu tu tu tu tu, tu tu tu, tu tu tu : - Or however it goes.. Although I don’t much care for crazy French comedies (I prefer their more subtle humor and serious movies), Animal is the proverbial exception that proves the rule. It’s a movie that I can see over and over again. It is the pure essence of unpretentious, but not dumb, entertainment. An endless barrage of gags, snappy lines, and phenomenal creations by Belmondo, who can make fun of himself like no one else. It simply has everything: action, great lines, betrayals, twists, chases, humor, exaggeration, love, Raquel Welch. And as the icing on the cake, the delightful music of Vladimir Cosma. (03/09/2007)