Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
This film originated as a play in Paris. The story focuses on the one-day adventures of Bertrand Barnier played with a genius of French cinema, Louis de Funes. In the same morning he learns that his daughter is pregnant, an employee stole a large amount of money from his company, his maid is about to resign in order to marry a wealthy neighbor and his body builder is interested in marrying his daughter. The seemingly complicated story-line is full of comedy or errors and some of the most hilarious mime scenes of the French cinema.
Oscar is a classic French farce built around Louis de Funès at the peak of his comedic powers. The plot is a well-constructed comedy of errors adapted from a stage play, with suitcases being swapped, identities confused, and misunderstandings cascading perfectly — solid but inherently theatrical and not especially cinematic. De Funès earns a 4 for Acting; his mime work, physical comedy, and explosive timing are genuinely exceptional and the core reason to watch the film. Cinematography is functional and stagy, reflecting its theatrical origins with little visual ambition. Novelty is moderate — the farce structure is traditional, but de Funès's singular comedic persona gives it a distinctive flavor that sets it apart from generic comedies. The ending resolves all threads in satisfying farcical fashion, competent but not memorably surprising.