irtosouza This is one of the best statements I ever heard on the fallacy of the work and matriarchy: funny, intelligent, amused, sagacious. It shows as the rude force it's nothing compares to the ambush of the woman. Only the intervention of something simple and very primitive ( a little dog ) can break the secular slavery the one that is submitted the masculine species. The obedience to the woman and the undercover values (Who works is noble, God helps the hard workers, the buzzer and the ant, etc.) they overwhelm the happy life of the "big man", until the destination, taking pity of it, decides to give an aid to it. The fear of a subversion of the public order seems to have been the causer of the no propaganda the respect of this masterpiece. The field of sunflowers, in the end, suggests the return to the paradise and the conquest, finally, of the happiness.

BKeegan In an era that also gave us Peter Seller's Clouseau, Phillipe Noiret created another indelible comic character in Alexandre that deserves a certain degree of immortality. One can only hope that there is a vault somewhere that contains a decent print of the film and that the owners will see fit to preserve it. To describe "Alexandre le bienheureux" as charming is too soft a description -- it is social and political commentary wrapped in a delightful and hilarious package that has few equals. The ending was a revelation for a generation of young filmgoers who also believed there might be something more to life than laboring to gain subsistence. When it played in my hometown in the early 1970's -- in a limited run at the local art museum -- I dragged everyone I could find to it. Ah, to be able to do the same today!

cwpnewpaltz A fable, a parable, an examination of the human condition, and a must see for anyone thinking of getting married. Certainly one of the strongest declarations on record of just why we love our dogs. There is always something rumpled about Noiret, a bit of a sad sack who somehow manages to wrest dignity from abuse or meager circumstance. Alexandre isn't his best film, or probably anybody's best film, but who can ignore this simple man who takes to bed, not in anguish over his loss, but in quiet enjoyment of what he has found through loss to the distress of his neighbors? Alexandre is a delicious comment on the benefits of breaking with convention and taking one's own road.It's now many years after I wrote the review above. I didn't remember having written it, but now that I read it, I know I did. My opinion hasn't changed. I'd gladly give $100 to have a good copy, but it seems to be unavailable. If you're reading this, I've got two more to add, if you can find them: Giuseppe Tornatore's "A Pure Formality" starring Gerard Depardieu and Roman Polanski, simply one of the most mesmerizing movies I've ever seen; and "Le Cadeau" ("The Gift"), of which I can find no trace, about a bank clerk or accountant with a shrewish wife who takes off for Venice with a gift some co-workers gave him--a singularly beautiful prostitute. He comes back a changed man with a restored relationship with his wife. A great movie. Why are these so hard to track down?

Jabberwock This film follows the best tradition of the french comedy, managing outrageous, hilarious, unbelievable situations, yet without succumbing to cheap humour or to any kind of vulgarity.Always pleasant to view, even after 32 years!