This is such a fun, entertaining French comedy from the 70s. I first saw it maybe 15 years ago and only had a blurry memory of it, so I figured now was a great time to revisit the classic and its sequels for my blog. You definitely shouldn't judge this one by today's standards—you have to think about the era when it actually came out. Since it’s been remade a few times, it’s really interesting to come back to the original after all these years and see how silly and over-the-top it still is. The story is about Renato and Albin, a constantly bickering couple who run a flashy nightclub called La Cage aux Folles. Renato is the more level-headed one who manages the place, while Albin is the star drag performer who gets a bit hysterical but always plays to a full house. Their lives get flipped upside down when Renato’s son, Laurent—who came from a one-time fling years ago—announces he’s getting married. The big catch is that his girlfriend’s dad is a leader of a super conservative po...
The story is about Renato and Albin, a constantly bickering couple who run a flashy nightclub called La Cage aux Folles. Renato is the more level-headed one who manages the place, while Albin is the star drag performer who gets a bit hysterical but always plays to a full house. Their lives get flipped upside down when Renato’s son, Laurent—who came from a one-time fling years ago—announces he’s getting married. The big catch is that his girlfriend’s dad is a leader of a super conservative political party. To make things worse, the girl told her parents that Laurent’s father is a "cultural ambassador." When the parents need to meet for dinner, Laurent begs Renato and Albin to act as "normal" as possible to fool the in-laws. Most of the laughs come from this setup, especially when a massive comedy of errors breaks out. Albin eventually shows up in full drag, and Laurent's biological mother also makes a surprise appearance. With the press hounding the girl’s father, the only way he can actually sneak away is by dressing in drag himself. It all ends happily with the kids getting married, while our main couple goes right back to their usual bickering.
Like I said, some parts of this movie haven't aged perfectly, and people today might find plenty of flaws, but I still really enjoyed it. The characters aren't being made fun of; the humor feels gentle and empathetic. The funniest scenes are definitely when Renato tries to teach Albin how to act more "masculine" to impress the girl’s parents. Renato yells, "Hold the toast in a manly way!" and even tries to show him how to walk like John Wayne. Jacob, the barefoot and barely-dressed housekeeper, also steals some scenes by being as campy as possible. The lead actors do a great job staying in character, and even though a lot of the gags rely on effeminate stereotypes, it never feels like it's mocking them. At the heart of the story is how far these two are willing to go for their son, and they really drive the whole narrative with a lot of heart. You can tell they truly love each other, even if it’s buried under all the arguing. It shows up in the small stuff, like Renato icing Albin’s neck during a meltdown or Albin giving Renato a casual kiss on the forehead that isn't a setup for a joke. That kind of sensitivity makes a huge difference amid all the slapstick. My only major gripe was with Laurent. He seems fine with his parents' sexuality, but he never actually stands up for Albin. Albin goes way out of his way to make the kid happy, but Laurent never really shows any gratitude for it.
The plot is pretty simple and the ending is hilarious, but the movie really works because of how sincere the two main characters feel. (7/10)
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