Watch Jaguar For Free
Jaguar
A shaman from the South American rain forest visits France for a public relations campaign. In a hotel's elevator in Paris he meets a French good-for-nothing named Perrin he's fascinated with. He follows Perrin to his flat and although Perrin is not very enthusiastic about so much interest in his person, he lets the shaman spend the night in his flat. After an official meeting on the next day being part of the PR campaign the shaman suffers from a heart attack. Hardly being able to speak and laying in a hospital bed he demands to see Perrin. The latter is not very interested in meeting the shaman again. However it looks like it is to late for animosities as the shaman and Perrin seem to be tied mentally somehow since they've met in the elevator.
| Release : | 1996 |
| Rating : | 5.9 |
| Studio : | Canal+, TF1 Films Production, Gaumont International, |
| Crew : | Art Direction, Production Design, |
| Cast : | Jean Reno Patrick Bruel Harrison Lowe Patricia Velásquez Alexandra Vandernoot |
| Genre : | Adventure Comedy |
Watch Trailer
Cast List
Reviews
A Masterpiece!
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
I love French films, but the main reason I watched this film is because it was directed by Francis Veber--a man who has made some wonderful comedies (THE GOAT, THE DINNER GAME, THE CLOSET and my favorite, THE VALET). So I went into this film assuming it was a comedy--heck, the box even said it was a comedy. However, there really aren't that many funny moments and I don't really think Veber intended it to be a comedy. Instead, it's a rather unusual yet still formulaic story about the Amazon and a shaman who has apparently lost his soul.The story begins with Jean Reno coming to Paris with this shaman for a press conference about saving the rain forest. However, shortly after arriving, the shaman announces that some guy he saw in the elevator (Patrick Bruel) is "the chosen one" and this chosen one must return to the Amazon to retrieve the shaman's lost soul. However, Bruel hardly seems like the hero type, as he's a gambler and is more interested in finding $100,000 to pay off his debts before the mob kills him. When he can't figure any way out of his predicament, the guy finally agrees to go to the Amazon.There's a lot more to it than that, but despite the strangeness of the setting and characters, the story is amazingly formulaic--very predictable, as you KNOW exactly what will ultimately happen in this charming but not especially well written film. You KNOW that the gambler will ultimately show depth and courage and save the day--so all the stuff leading up to this is rather bland since you KNOW what must occur. Had there been a few twists, the film would have been much better. Perhaps the film makers were afraid to do anything about the rain forest that did not end in a 100% happy ending--which is sad, because so often French films avoid these Hollywood-like clichés.Despite a story that is only adequate, the characters (especially Reno) are fun to watch and I must say that Veber sure made the Amazon gorgeous--with exquisite cinematography and music. A lovely but very predictable film that is well worth watching, just don't expect this to be among the director's best.
If this isn't quite top drawer Veber it IS still Veber and that means it's almost certainly throw two mis-matched males together in the cause of laughter. This time around it's Jean Reno - later to feature opposite Depardieu in Veber's Tais-toi - and Patrick Bruehl. The former is an anthropologist who is taking a Shaman from the Rain-Forest on a world tour to raise awareness and the latter is a nebbish in hock to the mob who could use a vacation to Anywhere until the heat is off. When the Shaman takes a shine to the nebbish, lays a 'magic' charm on him and charges him with 'finding' his - the Shaman - soul Bruehl goes along for the ride fully intending to catch the next plane back to Charles de Gaul. Things, of course, don't work like that and next thing he knows this Clark Kent turns into Superman and throws a couple of hard men literally across the room. He still has eyes to flee the scene however but eventually stays to defeat the heavy and win the girl. With this added to my DVD collection I lack only Le Jouet for a complete set of movies both written and directed by Veber (the latest, La Doublure, is not yet available on DVD) and though this one will be reprised less often than the other five it WILL be reprised.
Very easy-going ander rather sweet movie, with some very funny elements. Nice acting from singer Patrick Bruel and of course from Jean Reno. Special effects are mediocre, and some goofs can be easily found but don't let that spoil your fun :-)
I didn't notice that this movie was directed by Francis Veber when I rent it. Veber was a director and screenwriter of a lot of very good comedies from the 1980's and 1970's, most of them featuring comic Pierre Richard. Veber also directed the hilarious Le dîner de cons, in 1998. So, Le Jaguar had all the elements of Veber movies. It's not genious, but it had imagination in situations where a man (Bruel) had trouble because he's at a place or in a situation where he's not suppose to be, and he's got help from a man (Reno) who is at the right place. For good smiles, see this movie, or any of the Veber films. Reno is very good, as always.
