La Cage Aux Folles (1979)

Birdcage Mark 1

This is the original film on which The Birdcage is based. It is a little sharper in every respect, but just as funny. While in The Birdcage you know all along that everybody's joking, the actors play it for real here. You never doubt that these are committed homosexuals living in a long-term relationship. The highlight is the outrageous male maid - a laugh at every turn.

Although nominally about a gay relationship, this is really just another of Francois Weber's brilliant "buddy" movies, one of the first in a long tradition that includes Tais Toi and The Dinner Game as particular highlights. Weber has a superlative grasp on the comedy archetype: the set-up, the tangle of confusions, the resolution and the moral. Few people in movies have had such a clear and consistent grasp of the demands of comedy. And, as with his other great comedies, this one packs a great moral punch.

By the way, nowadays Weber is both writer and director; in La Cage Aux Folles he was one of the four writers. April 8, 2008

La Cage Aux Folles (1979)

The original movie.. superb.. a laugh a second.
The American remake was fun, but doesn't enen come close. October 28, 2007

La Cage Aux Folles

Before "The Birdcage" and the glitzy stage musical of the same name, Molinari's uproarious farce crossed boundaries to become a big international hit. Campy and outrageously off-kilter in the tradition of the best Hollywood comedies, "La Cage" thrives on the credibly affectionate performances of Tognazzi and Serrault, brilliant as the flamboyant Albin and his drag-queen alter ego, ZaZa. Adding to the fun is Michel Galabru, the snobby father-in-law-to-be who heads an organization called the Union of Moral Order. Through it all, Molinari's antic, assured direction keep the high-strung hysterics at a soulful pitch. July 4, 2007

Wonderful

"La Cage aux Folles"

Wonderful

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

Looking back at my DVD collection, I realized I had never written a review of a gay classic, "La Cage aux Folles". I do not care if you are gay or straight or where you are from, this is one movie you will enjoy. It is one of those movies that sneaks around every once in a while and finds a home. It is funny, uplifting, gay positive and allows us to see that being gay is just fine. Watching it again last night it s not as funny as I once thought but it is still very enjoyable. After all it was made 1976, a long time ago. It is not a new story and the direction is nothing special but there is some great humor here and the actors give dynamite performances. The final scene still elicits a great many laughs.
The score by Ennio Morricone takes us into a very different world with its very sensitive music. You feel the softness and tenderness of the gentle music which is torn apart by the actions of the actors when the movie gets going. Let me say that the actors are not ridiculous characterizations but real people with real emotions. Unlike the American version of the film "The Birdcage" this movie is not a total farce. What appear as stereotypes in the American version are here humans who exist beyond stereotype.
"La Cage" is a brilliant exercise in comedy. Michael Serrault makes you laugh all of the time and never disappoints and Ugo Tognazzi as Renato, suave and debonair, successful and over the hill is just great as the more "male" of the two characters. His log time partner, Albin, or Zaza (Serrault) wit a volatile temperament and a mincing walk gives a performance of rarely seen caliber. Together the couple pulls off a major acting coup. It is next to impossible not to love these two characters.
Here is a wonderful French romp that all of us can empathize with--especially at the ridiculousness of the situations of our heroes. There is an underlying theme of sensitivity that is often overlooked in favor of the comedy. This is a must-see for the discerning movie goer as well as for the ma on the street.
May 12, 2007

simply french quality

I like the way the conversations, the way homosexual are described , i think is explicit, realistic and lovely. Tasteful. May 8, 2007

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