Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (1978)

Sadly Over-hyped

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

At different stages of our lives, we have all heard about the ancient tale of the mentally agitated king who wanted to make his daughter smile at all costs as she was feeling sad. This king was willing to do anything, pay any price to the man who would bring a smile on his daughter's face. Watching "Get Out Your Handkerchiefs", one gets the feeling that this ancient tale has come alive before our very own eyes albeit with minor differences. "Préparez Vos Mouchoirs" is the modern day narrative about a hapless man who would go to any extent to render his wife pregnant as she is unable to bear any child from him. French director Bertrand Blier is famous for films where sex or sexual lives of his protagonists amalgamate with other existential themes. One watches with amusement the tug of war between two leading men, Patrick Dewaere-an intellectual with a beard who is a big classical music fan versus Gérard Depardieu-an ordinary person. In many ways, this film is the perfect example of the maturity of French cinema and its audiences as it is not so easy for any national cinema to handle the theme of sexuality when a child is involved. Hence it is not easy for viewers to decide whether this film is a classical case of being a pure work of fiction or a film influenced by reality. Whatever one might state, "Préparez Vos Mouchoirs" is the only film where a kid scores well than adult men in the field of sex.

The quote from COOL HAND Luke seems quite appropriate here. While some adore "Préparez Vos Mouchoirs" (as typified by the mostly favorable reviews and the Oscar win for Best Foreign Film in 1979), others probably see the film in such a radically different light. To see it in this other light is perhaps seen by the "with it" crowd as evidence that an individual is devoid of taste and a Neanderthal. Yet, to those who hate it, the film is not just bad but evil...or at least very, very morally suspect.What I am talking about here is that in the second half of this comedy(?), the leading lady has an "affair" with a 13 year-old boy--and this seems to be a good thing according to the film. This is very reminiscent of "Le Soufflé au Coeur"--another French film that is adored by most "with it" people. However, in "Le Soufflé", the boy is not just a teen having sex with an adult but the adult in question is his own mother!!! Yet, review after review on IMDb for "Le Soufflé" describe the movie with such words as 'vibrant' and 'marvelous' as well as saying that it's 'a beautiful coming of age film'. For "Préparez Vos Mouchoirs", there are such appellations as 'clever', 'amusing' as well as 'fresh and surprisingly intelligent'. What part of morally wrong don't they understand?! Even if the rest of the film had been good (which, incidentally, it was not), how can such praised be heaped on a film that glamorizes or excuses sexual abuse? Now understand that I am NOT a French-basher. I love French films and they are my among favorite type of films (surpassing even the Japanese--which I also adore) and I have taken French classes to learn the language. But, in this one way, I think the French film makers have it all wrong. In fact, the recent glowing praise and support of Roman Polanski (who admitted to drugging and sodomizing a 13 year-old) illustrates this divide. Having worked as a social worker and then therapist with sexual abuse victims, this 19th century attitude towards the sexualization of children is quite sad. Sometimes and with some issues we provincial Americans are wrong...in this case, however, I suspect the French have something to learn from us about the way we have taken sexual abuse cases more seriously in recent years (though, of course, we still have a way to go).So if I was totally offended by the scenes that involved the 13 groping and leering at a beautiful (and willing) adult woman, what did I think about the rest of the film? Well, sadly, I didn't like it. The film has many absurdist elements that might appeal to some but will also leave many cold. Like director Blier's follow-up film, "Buffet Froid", so much of the film deliberately makes no sense and is intended to shock. If you like this sort of craziness, so be it, but the average person out there will not be particularly pleased with the film as it just seemed dumb and the characters seemed so unreal. I know that is the point the film makers intended, but that still doesn't mean I have to like it. If I want something goofy and insane, I'll watch a comedy like "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"--this is absurdism but with the aim to make people laugh. "Préparez Vos Mouchoirs" does not seem to have any such intention. It seems more intent on confusion and bizarreness instead of being a comedy--sort of like performance art instead of film.Overall, there is almost nothing to recommend this film (unless you want to see a young looking 13 year-old making it with an adult). Incidentally, the actress was 30 and the child was actually 14. Would you let your 14 year-old participate in sex scenes with a 30 year-old in a film? Wouldn't this seem like pandering?

An Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film, a Golden Globe nominee, and a César winner for the music, this film is said to be what Rushmore wasn't.Raoul (a very young looking Gérard Depardieu) is a husband who is trying to make his wife Solange (Carole Laure) happy. he thinks he can do it by arranging for Stéphane (Patrick Dewaere) to go to bed with her. She really could care less about either of them.This absurd comedy just keeps getting funnier as the two try everything to improve her disposition. Nothing works. They even bring the neighbor (Michel Serrault) in on their adventure. The three of them eat and discuss her situation while she sleeps peacefully.It is when they go out to the country to work in a camp for poor children that they find Christian (Riton Liebman, a 13-year-old in his first film), a genius who finally makes her laugh.It gets really funny when they can't remember who slept with her last night, and she suggests that she sleep alone. They really don't mind, as their friendship is now more important than her problem.She ends up sleeping with Christian, and natures takes it's course. Well, she was no match for his superior intellect and he played on her emotions until he got what he wanted.If it is possible, the film gets more absurd toward the ending. It was hilarious throughout, but the ending was magnificent.Every actor in this film was superb!

I am still wondering how I managed to sit through the entire movie. Story - bizarre.... Acting - no comments please .....A bizarre relationship between a 13 old kid and an imbecile married woman. All she does is knitting sitting topless. An equally imbecile husband who finds the third imbecile in the movie to make love to his wife. A bored housewife who falls in love after a car wreck; it was upside down but she was intact enough to have sex with the first stranger that passes by. Come on!!!!! This is French slapstick for you folks.... I have no idea how come people give it a rating over 2-3. I rated it 1/10 because I couldn't rate it lesser. in my opinion it's -7 out of 10.