My Wife Maurice (2002)

“My feminine side is very developed.”

Chinless French businessman, Georges Audefey (Philippe Chevallier) takes his Amazonian mistress, Emmanuelle (Alice Evans) to Venice for a sleazy weekend. He hopes to keep it cheap by placating her avaricious streak with cheesy souvenirs. She, however, can’t wait to go on a mega-spending spree. The fun-filled weekend comes to an abrupt halt, and Georges returns to Paris to placate his suspicious wife Marion (Virginie Lemoine). Emmanuelle follows in hot pursuit. She’s determined to introduce herself to Marion and break up the unhappy couple.

While Marion is away, Emmanuelle phones and announces she’s heading over to spill the beans. Georges grabs itinerant, bearded part time charity worker, Maurice Lappin (Regis Laspales), and persuades him to pose as his wife. Georges hopes to pass Maurice off as Marion so that Emmanuelle will vent her spleen without causing any further domestic problems.

“My Wife Maurice” from director Jean Marie Poire is a riotous French farce complete with men dressing as women, mistaken identities, a jealous German paratrooper, Johnny Zucchini (Gotz Otto), and a set of pompous in-laws. Maurice plays a favourite stock character in French farce–the well-meaning idiot who is suddenly elevated to dizzying heights of power, influence and attention. The first 20 minutes or so of the film are both frantic and incredibly funny. The humour lost its momentum for a short period, but then charged up once more. “My Wife Maurice” lacks the originality of Poire’s other–brilliant and inspired film–”The Visitors”–but it still gave me the best laugh I’ve had in weeks. If you are a fan of French farce, give “My Wife Maurice” a try. In French with English subtitles. Let the mayhem begin…